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PROFITES 22 UNPTUGGING Jimmy Brown shows you how he does Frank Sinatra's "My Way" his way-on one acoustlc 8u]tar.
24 BRIGHT EYES Bright Eyes, a. k. a. Conor Oberst, talks .rbout the alt. country-ish andvery acoustic I'mWideAwake,k'sMoming, one of two new .rlbums by one of rock's great rising stars.
FEAIURES 28 JOHN FOGERIY The Creedence legend spent more than a Jecade studying the acoustic guitar and, as his performance on DejaVuAllOuer Again makes clear, hes ready to play. 34 SONGWRITING IOI \bu wanna be a songwriter, but all you L:row are a few chords on the guitar. Don t ir et-Guitar World Acoustic's Matt Scharfglass rs here to help you get started P L U S: Great rockers recall how they wrote some of their biggest hits 42 GREE].I DAY Eillie Joe Armstrong explains how he man.rged to be punk, pop, political, personalend acoustic-all on one album.
DEPARIMENTS 7 LETIERS 1O FIRST
SIRINGERS
Cake, Son Volt, Rilo Kiley, Ari Hest, John Eutler, Dan Hicks, Jerry Douglas, Nuno
Bettencourt
91 RECORD REVIEWS
Simon and Garfunkel, Adrian Legg, the Ditty Bops, Precious Bryant 92 GEAR REVIEWS -\lvarez Yairi MMYr Monte Montgomery Signature Model, Gretsch Rancher G5o33 .rnd GsoroC, Dean Heirloom Resonator, ,h" Guitar Method
"M.di,
97 NEW EOUIPMENT The latest guitars, amps and accessories 98 CONIEMPORARY CI.ASSICS Contemporary Classics: Thylor's XXX-KE Limited Edition Grand -:oth Anniversary Concert Guitar
COTUMNS 82 R0CK OUARRY with Warren Haynes 83 THE ,AZZ BOX with Frank Visnola
84 BASIC IRAINING with Keith Wyatt 85 MAKE ROOM TOR DADGAD with Laurence Juber: "Layla" Cover Photosraph by RUDY ARCHUTETA Cover inset: Pamela Littky(Green Day)
A
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EDITORIAL EDITOR-lN-CHIEF Hapld St€lnblatt MANAGING EDITOR Rlchaid Bl€nst@k MUSIC EDIToR Jlmmy Bom ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR Maft Schartslas TECH EDITOR Paul Rlado GEAR EDITOR Chrl3 Glll SENIOR EDITORS Jam6 Rotmdl, Jlm Stelnblatt MUSIC TRANSCRIBERS Paul Pappae, Jofr Poilln WRITERS WarEn Hayn6, laurcn€ Jqbor, FEnk Vlgnola, Anr Abol, Ardy Alodort, Hal BloNt@k, Alan dl Poma, Cada FFdodcks, Sham Hammmd, Ma?k Han$n, GEg Kot, Soan McDovltt, Enllo Mgn@h6, Danny Mll@, Blll Murphy, Adam Porlmutt6r, Mac Randall, lsalah Trot, Jm Wekb€rgoi, Kolth Wyatt MUSIC ENGRAVERS staeato Modla Greup, lnc., Muslcomp, lnc. MUSIC CLEARANCE & COPYRIGHTS Sean McDovltt CONTRIBUTING
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what I have
FAB.UI.OUS
been able
I've always thought Paul McCartney 'was a great acoustic guitarist, and I was thrilled to see your interview wirh him (GWA +76) The best thing about the story is that it demonstrated just how articulate McCartney is His anecdotes about how he came to write some of
to find
those great Beatles songs, and especially his repeated references to his father as
major source of inspiration, both on his music .rnd his life, were lascinating Thanks from a lifelong a
Beatles fan
-K.
How
if we can't understand
what some of the
s
symbols are? I think we can do
> Songwriting with ttm
>
8$ils
and Solo
How he
without
and other dassiG
>
one page
Hb newsignaturc
of the lat-
Epiphoneguilar
10 6R[AI
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A(0u$l(-ttf0Rt6
ilodeliu Prce$or (nte lelluildr AmD I iltre 1,r
est poser
,-a/
Reviewed! l(0rg
with
the latest piece-
\
of-shir gurtar, or stnngs, or whatever.
lffifiil[]imEe
Holden, uia the Internet
It never occurred to me belore reading your excellent interview with Paul \[cCartney that, unlike so nany of his contemporaries, :re didn't obsess about his .ear While you could argue guitar '''ork would sound better :-.-.J he been using the best :-.ssible instruments, it's '.so comlorting that one of :.3 greatest songwriters and :-.:sicians in history did :st line with good, and not - :;essarily hbulous. equip::r.1r his bass and
-_3nI
OH -S.tmuel Smith, Toledo, .: '..'.rs a pleasant surprise : - .:e Paul McCartney on
'-r -over ofyour magazine. :: :s a multifaceted musi:: '.'rrruoso who excels on -.... -rcoustic guitar and : -:--. In addition to being : ,:::rendous vocalist and :::r \lcCartney has . ',- orked on classical, -.:..:1r and experimen, ..:--rdings He still - .:: ,::ns captivating live - :.-:::s rvhile actively pro- : ,-,: hrs humanitarian : :' -3\\- rhat embraces ----,..=- ::qhts, vegetartan' -. ,:.:nal rvelfare and - -:::--i-trrnal peace The - -- :. :::egnificentl :
-:':.n
Comerfor, uia email
can
we learn
Great article on Paul McCartney, but the review of John Lennon's Acoustic album was what really caught my eye It's so amaz' ing that the Beatles and their solo recordings are still as vital today as they were
Remember, your advertisers only buy one page WE buy them ALL!
-Lost
in Texal uia email
Beautit'ul\
said. As 1ou can see issue,1ou conuinced this lrom
us-GWAEd.
when I grew up with them 3o-plus years ago
-MikeGladden,
E.Z DOES IT
HEART THROB
Thanks for putting the E-Z Guttar arrangements back in the magazine I just renewed my subscription
Thank;,611 for giving my
for three years
Johnstown, OH
guitar goddess, Nancy Wilson of Hearr, some welldeserved coverage in your magazine(GWA*7a) The insight she shared on the making of "Crazy on You" was interesting I think she is the greatest acoustic player
out there, and I look for-ward to future articles on her. Riuerside, CA
-Tnal.,
-KarlJacob,
WYAIT
uia email
RICIT
Your fingerpicking primer really hit the spot Keith
Wyatt not only knows his stuff, he also knows gui-
tarists-his description of players who are intimidated by fingerpicking could have been written about
me I want to thank him
KEY GRIPE why you do not print atabkey I would like to
ask
in your mag each month? I may be just a dumbass, but not everyone is born knowing how to read this silly shit! I've even looked in other mags to try to figure out what some of the stulf is, and Guitar World Acoustic is somewhat di{Ierent than
for holding my hand in his lesson, and for coming up
with
the goods
-Gerard Bernstein. Miami,FL sE t{D (0RRESP0t'rD
..ttITERS,"
[fl ( r 10
GUIIAR WORIN
ACOUSIIE, 149 FIFTI"I AVE'{UE,
ilINIH T[OOR, NEW YO[IK, NY IOO1O OR IMAIL US AT GWA@GUITARWORtD"(OM
Iro ff
m m E ffi&ffiffiffiWffiffiffi m H ETN E
STUCKINLODI ^-REEDENCE CLEARWATER Revival was always my favorite rock I You.,o. Anyone who belreves that I make this statement simply to pander to John Fogerty, this issue's cover artist, should have been there the night in 1979 thac Lithium, my first and only rock band, played its first and only gig, a Sweet 16 dance at the Palm Shore CIub in Brooklyn, New York We'd gotten the job because Andy, our drummer-a college freshman who'd had the image of Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung tattooed on his arm-knew Angie, the Sweet 16 girl, and convinced her that Lithium was the band for the job We weren t Sheepshead Bay, like every other Brooklyn neighborhood at the time, was a disco hotbed. More significantly, Angie, a nubile beauty with curly hair and braces, was quite a discomaniac, and Andy (who one year later had his first name legally changed to "St1x") assured her that we knew our disco This was a grotesque lie because, apart from a single quasi-
to remonstrate with her now blood enemy Andy, but he was so wasted by that time that he'd had trouble playing the shuifle rhythm to "Down On the Corner "
disco song by our rhythm guitarist, Jeff (he called it "The Fist"), our repertoire consisted overwhelmingly of Creedence covers, with a couple of Buddy Holly and Velvet Underground tunes thrown in for good
I felt a httle ashamed
measure.
by all the dupliciry but mostly I was exhilarated-I hadnt
We played the show and broke Angie's heart. No one danced except when we played "Proud Mary"which ar the time was still thz rock song played by Brooklyn wedding and bar
made a single mistake on any of my carefully memorized Creedence
solos That night, as I removed my biue flannel shirt-wom, of course, in ribute to the holy personage ofJohn Fogerry-I thanked the tord for my fingers, and for a-11 those easyto-play, perfect and perfectly beautiful guitar pans I'd managed to execute like a pro
mizvah bands-and, you guessed it, "The Fisr." We tried to keep the latter going for as long as possible, but how long can you play the same descending treble string riff over an Em7 chord without exhausting the audience and forever damaging the musicians? As we packed up our gear, Angie sought
-Harold Steinblatt
Now
I
tJ'vE LLY
FOUND YOUR SOUND, MAKE SURE
ct<
,\
os{
AGtr\N
\{ Ne{eR
Frrtw.
1fu"y
the sound is clearly
yours
For information on Loudbox, Loudbox Pro, and the new Loudbox Performer visit www.fishman.com
I
cUITAR woRLD ACousrrc
visit us at Winter NAMM
#4258
::
--
HILE RILO KILEY vocalist Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett have been in the public eye lor years (both were child acrors in the Eighties, appearing in the lilm TroopBcutrly Hrlls and the Nickelodeon television series Salut; YourShorts. respectively). the two
-.^r
are now garnering attention
lor
a
project
closer to their hearts More Aduenturous,
rheir rhird album as Rilo Kiley, has been receiving much critical praise for its mix of country-tinged confesslonals ("Does He Love You?," "More Adventurous"), raging rockers ("Portions for Foxes," "Love and
War [rrlrr/.16]") and soulful torch songs ("I Never") The origins ofthe band date back to the mid-Nineties. when Sennett and Lewis met and began playing acoustic shows around L A They eventually added bassist Pierre de Reeder and drummer Dave Rock (later replaced by Jason Boesel), developing a sound that reflected E - such influences asJim
Dylan, Townes Van Zandr and Neil Young
After recording two albums for two different labels, the band chose to release More A duenturous
on thelr own imprint, Brute/Beaute "Thls time
E
-------------------
around," says Sennett, "we went into the studio with a more open mind and experimental approach " The songs on the album are lushly produced and layered with hervily elletteJ. olten electric guitars But Sennett still sees himself as an acoustic man: "Even on the electric songs," he says, "I overdub a lot ofacoustic to add more of a percussive element, fill it out and make it drive "
E
/
Their new approach notwithstanding, Rilo Kiley's signature mix of downcast lyrics-love, loss and heartbreak are the dominant themes-and upbeat melodies remains very much in evidence on More Adrenturous Lewis writes most of the lyrics, while she rnd Sennett share music-
writing duties Perhaps o
because
the two used to date, their many compositions that convey the pain and anger associated with love gone sour have an authentic ring to them (Sample lyric: "The slow ftde of love/Its soft eds. might cut you ") "We almost always have .r h.rnd in erch other's pot. .rs it were," says Sennett "We're each Abcl other's favorite editors "
-Ann
Photosraph by STEVEN BARSTON
PAIt,l
!1r1i$;,, The John
Butler Trio
dL"q\tltri. Sunise Ovet Sea
Ari Hest Brc MAN oN cAMPUs RI HEST
may be
new to the big time, but the z5-year-old !inger-songwriter has alr eady :enerated an impressive buzz :nong fans and critics His ::--ajor{abel debut, Someone to 1il (Columbia), is filled with :.r rospective, hook-filled :-.p-rock tunes, all powered :
:'.- Hest's own forceful acous-
:-. srrummrng. The Bronx, New York-
and soul, and had recorded an album of original tunes by the time he was r8 years old. Like so many singer-songwriters, he paid his dues on the college circuit "I really developed my fan base by playing a lot of solo gigs-as many as 15 a month-at schools all over the country, " he says, "sometimes for only live or ro people." Hest says his extensive
:-:n
child ofajazz :-:sician father and ::- :qually musical :::::her-she is a :- r,:gogue cancor-
solo experience has shaped his approach to the guitar. 'A lot goes on when I play," he notes, "and that's the result of my tryrnS to create
:i:':
grer.v up with ---s:; in his blood
a
whole arrangement-melody,
rhythm, bass [ine, drumswith nothing but my acoustic I wanted the guitar to be as full-sounding as possible " When Hest began performing with a full band recently he had to make some adjusrments to his do-it-yourself style "I've been writing songs
slt FRANCISCO music :::-: ran Hicks is back - -:-:therswinging, l:-:: rflectedalbum, , ::':: Shorts (5urfdog ;: ::: cnwhichhis : : -:'ot Hot Licks :: -: : :-Smented by - - - - -: rles as Willie !i :- rmyBuffett, : .--.'. mKeltner '::::1,:nbassist
everyt hing "'
At the heart of Hicks's cool stringy sound is his chugging rhythm playing, a source of great pride to
At the sarne time, Hicks wonders aloud whether he would perhaps do a betterjob of
the singer-songwriter. "l don't know any other
delivering the ec(entri( lyrics for which he is renowned if he were freed of his rhythm responsibilities. "l can do more vocal efferts when l'm not playing," he says, adding quickly, "but it really wouldn't do for me not to play guitar."
guy who mostly strums but plays with two f ingerpicks and a thumbpick," says Hicks. "People ask me
how I know all thesejazz chords. I don't, but they think I do because I get around so much on
the rhythm."
-lsaioh
the rest of the guys
sionally lay out for a verse and don't play at all That gives me a chance to listen to whar everyone else is doing, and I'm always like, 'Man, this sounds really good I can actually hear
I SHORT SUITE
with
in mind," he says, "and less for Ari's guitar'Onstage, I occa-
!
-
Carl a F re d e r i chs
f,
(Lava/Atlantic) iSi,'i\i*,5 i.ri-.i!:r EGlectic, troove-oriented music reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Ben Harper but with more aggressive guitar playing. Armed with his trusty rz-string (actually, it's an rr-string-he plays without the high-octave G string), Butler ii equally adept at Celticflavored fingerpicking as he is
flatpicking blistering single-string blues lines. 1lt5i{-rt't - The half-Australian, half-American Butler has lived in both countrier but calls the [and Down Under home. After discovering the joys of running an opentuned acoustic through a diJtorted Marshall amp, he dropped out of art school and committed himself to a career in music. That was seven yearr ato; since then, Butler has transformed himself from a humble busker into the leader of one of Australia's most successful bands. 9i:l{.;i:ir""rii!?f . "l have a great respect for electri< guitar players, but I don't connect with that instrument creatively. I prefer picking up a guitar and being able to really hear it instead of having to go through the rigmarole of plugging it in.5o even though I like to amplify my acoustics, l've never been interested in playing electric guitar." Randall
-fiac
Larrivee LV-0312+tring with Maton APMic (bridge) and Sunrise S-1 (soundhole) pickups; the Malon's signal is senl to the PA. via a Fishman Acoustic G U iTA
R
s I
Blender, while the Sunrise's signal goes
lo his pedals and amp
AM
Pt!
F I E
R:
1975
Marshall JMP Super Lead EFFEcr5, Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive, RV-3 Reverb/Delay, HR.2 Harmonist and TR2 Tremolo pedals, Crybaby wah, lbanez Tube Screamer, Ernie Ball volume pedal.
srn tru es, DAddario,.010-.047 ('12-string),.014-.056 (six-strins)
Trost
currAR woRLD ACousrrc
11
FIR$T $TNI},IGER$
Son Volt I
A
FTER SPENDING more than
"My father was dying while I was working on my last solo record, [zoojs] experimental music, Farrar found himself Terroir Blues, and I wrote very melancholy longing to play basic rock and ro11 again. songs and played all che instruIt was then that he decided to resays Farrar. "But I had a ments," [orm Son Volt. .50, Bonanzinga few upbeat songs that an EP ofincreasingly introspective and
a
#l1:l':tts: i:i::',TJt;T"
NUMBER TWo soN
".
Volt, Jay Farrar decided, in zooo, to embark on a solo career. But after two albums and
EFFECTS: Electro-
Man, Pro Co Rat, Dunlop Tremolo STRINGS:
DAddario
medium-9auge
I thought would really lend themselves to being played by a band. I knew they were Son Volt songs." The band's new album, their lirst since 1998, is due out in early spring. While the music-a blend of country twang and classic rock crunch-will be familiar, Son Volt themselves will not. Farrar wound up replacing the entire original group after a financial dispute. "Musically we were on the same page, but we had developed different priorities," says F arrar. "Even after things started to go bad, I called them and said, 'LeCs just get together and play,'but
they only wanted to communicate through their lawyers." For all the housecleaning, Farrar says his songs and new band's approach to playing them are unmistakably Son Voltish. "To me, we were always about the energy offour guys playing together live," he says. "In that sense, this is a continuation of what we did before." Farrar plans to take his new bandmates on
the road this summer, and he says fans can expect a mix of songs from all phases of Son Volt's career. "I'm looking forward to playing the new songs, and also reinterpreting the stuff from my solo records," he says. 'And I'm really excited to play some old Son Volt songs-there's a bunch that haven't been played in a long while." -HalBienstock 12
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lead singer and songwriter John McCrea of Pressure Chief (Columbia), the band's fifth
studio album "We were
on studlo, so it's not slick, but that's what I like about it I've
our own in
-
a home
always thought it's more subversive to sound economical and 1ow-to-the-ground "
road-weary Fender Sidekick amp-has been an integral I part of the band's sound and I mystique since they came
]
together in rggo "I appropriated that guitar from my mom," says McCrea "She used to sing old Woody
Guthrie songs when I was growing up in Berkeley UntiJ
r-.i .. ':,. r1i. "ii:. 1l:: '::
Even
with
for some key tracks on Pressure thr./, includlng rhe kickolf romp "Wheels" :rnd the beautifully wrought ba11ad "She'll Hang the B.rskets " Lerd guitarist Xan McCurdy (who plays acoustic and electric on the album) and guests Tyler Pope .rnd Chuck PropheL raunch it up on "Baskets" as well as the
punk-funk hir "No Phone" and the catchy "Tougher Than It Is "
'j:r,;: ;,',.t,,::.
'
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14
cutrAR woRLD ACousrlc
6-inchsPeaker 6-inchsPeaker
coast punk, country .or.tfr.,k, and assorted other sounds with a raw sincer-
cert, and we had to play songs that didn\ feature my playing because I
ity not ordinarily associated didn't have an extra It pretty frightening " with platinum-selling bands
can be
McCrea says his olfkilter compositions merely reflect the "fucking weird times" we live in "It's not really peaceful or happy, but it certainly is interesting As ur songwriter, I'm grateful "
-BrlIMurphy
Words of Love
NUNO BETTENCOURT
RECALLS THE MAKING OF EXTREME'S BIG HIT. BY RICHARD BIENSTOCK
"wfi
se?
often hears when the topic is "More Than Words," the smash hit single from the band's r99o sophomore albttlr,, Extreme II: Pornograffitti While it is true that the song put Extreme on the national map, it also had this certainly unplanned repercussion: a riflheavy, electric guitar-dominated hard rock group became known primarily for a prettily picked, and even more prettily sung, acoustic love song. Many late-Eighties and early-Nineties hard rock outfits enjoyed enormous success with the cream puff tunes that came to be known as "power ballads " But "More Than Words" was more than just another sweetly sung and arranged anthem of romantic angst For one thing, the tune did not feature bass, drums or the usual histrionic electric guitar solo There was just lead singer Gary Cherone and Bettencourt, delivering .r ha rmonically challenging vocal duet to Nuno's fingerpicked
Gary's house in the early morning with my accompaniment on a Washburn Festival acoustic, listening to the birds and a couple While his playing of random cars driving by, and the melody certainly stood in marked contrast to the just came to me I brought it hyperactive, Van Halen-esque SoNG: "MoreThanWords" inside, Gary put some lyrics pyrotechnics on fretboard ALBIJM: Extreme ll: to it, and that was that " electric for which he was Pornoqraffitti (A&V) GUITARIST: Nuno Beltencouri That was hardly that, as justly renowned, neither was GUITAR: Washburn Festival "More Than Words" becamc it the tepid strumming that Series acoustic-electric an enormous hit, attaining characterized so many power the Number One position on the Billboard ballads Bettencourt's flowing guitar part charts in June of r99r While the band's folis not easy to emulate, particularly the Iow-up single, the equally acoustic "Hole percussive knocks he incorporated into the Hearted," also did very well on the charts, chord progression "More Than Words" remains the song for "People used to come up to me and say which Extreme is best known they found it hard to play," Bettencourt says So was it a curse, Nuno? today. 'And I'd be like, 'Why? It's just a G7 "How could anybody ever complain then a C, and so on But they'd say, 'Well, about having a Number One single?" because of that tapping thing that you do on Bettencourt responds unhesitatingly. the guitar's top.' That was just the way I had "When I first started writing songs as a always played acoustic, in order to keep the kid, the idea that I could take part in creatrhythm going in my head It was a habit " ing something thac would connect with so Bettencourt reports that the song was many people was unimaginable There's no the result of "a classic sittingway you could ever be disappointed about on- the-porch-w ith-you r-gu itar somerhing like that " r thing I was alone outside of Series acoustic-electric.
Z I
U
= ta
adding a standard bass-line
TK
walkup in the second half of the measure-A, B, then C on the following downbeat-while manag
Sinatra and Elvis Presley, scored hits back in the rg6o's and Seventies, respectively, with their dillerent but equally schmaltzy renditions of the ballad'My Way." The dtle track from an album recorded by Sinatra for Warner Bros. in 1969, the song, with its classically American mix of sentiment and bravado, was tailormade for the charismatic singer and actor, becoming his theme song in the later part of his career. Written by Paul Anka, Claude Francois, Gilles Thibault and Jacques Revaux and exquisitely aruangedfor alarge studio orchestra by Don Costa, Sinatra's "My Way" features a classical harp and a gorgeous bed of symphonic strings and brass, supponed by bass, drums and
ing to keep the upper notes of the chord ringing. The final G chord in FIGURE 2 leads into the song's second verse, which is identical to the
first except in the final bar, where the lyrics and chord changes di-fl fer. FIGURE 3 depicts this second ending and the ensuing chorus rhythm pattern. Note the use of the "type z" G voicing, as well as the accents in the first bar and the busier strumming pattern that follows. When using a pick, be sure to strum the second r6th note in each pair with an upstroke. When playing lingerstyle, use index-finger upstrokes for these upbeats and thumbed downstrokes for everything else. Whichever approach you opt for, be sure to play this section with greater volume and intensity than the verse to create a dramatic contrast. To conclude the chorus, follow the progression of chords illustrated in FIGURE 4, continuing the same basic strum
other instruments. Presley's dramatic reading of the song, recorded live in the early Seventies and released as a single jusc prior to his death in August rg77, featres a somewhat less-ambitious but still elegant arrangement, with the King's crooning vocal backed by a piano{ed rhythm section, horns and other instruments.
My adaptation of "My Way" for the acoustic guitar is, for the most part, inspired by the multi-layered Sinatra arrangement, which was recorded in the key of D. By placing acapo at the sevench fret, I can play the song as if it were in G while staying true to the original key. Elvis's version was recorded in C, one whole step lower than Sinatra's, and those of you who prefer singing it the King's way can simply lower the capo to the fifth fret and play the same arrangement with a couple of dillerent chords that I'll show you later. FIGURE 1 presents the song's brief intro and the first part ofits opening verse. You can play this arrangement either Iingerstyle or with a pick, but be sure to use a light touch whichever approach you take. I've included suggested picking strokes above the tablature, but feel free to experiment 22 currAR woRLD
ACousrIc
and go with the right-hand technique you find to be most comfortable, whether you employ nothing but downstrokes with a flatpick, use nothing but your thumb (this results in a very mellow sound), or go the traditional fingerstyle route with thumb and fingers. Note the subtle differences in the articulation of the chords when they are strummed with downstrokes instead of upstrokes, which would result in a
brighter attack. This gentle eighth-note accompanrment pattern continues for the remainder of the song's first verse. FIGURE 2 shows the rest of the chords you'll need to play this section ofthe song. Each chord is to be played for one bar (four beats), with the exceptions of the pairings G-Gmaj7 and C-Cm6, where each chord is played for two beats. As indicated below the Gg chord, try
pattern from FIGURE 3. The song concludes with a repeat of the second verse/chorus cycle and dillerent lyrics, with the intensiry level brought down to a whisper during the third verse and then abruptly jacked up to a passionate roar for the climactic final chorus. For a big ending,
try tremolo strumming the {inal G chord
as
you belt out that final sublime "waaaaaayl." To do it Elvis's way, move the capo down two frets (as noted earlier), and use the two verse chord substitutions depicted in FIGURE 5. Youll {ind that the C/G chord sounds less pensive than the Am(maj7) chord found in the Sinatra version. When opdng for this substitution, follow this chord with a complete bar of D9/F+. Though it shares three common tones with Cm6, the F7 chord alters the color and feel of the progression shghtly, a change in hue that you may prefer. r
o
z z o
: o
..MY WAY" (arranged for solo acoustic guitar; standard tuning, capo seventh fret) shapes and tablature positions are relative to the capo. All notes and chords sound a perfect fifth (three and one half steps) higher than written (key of D).
All chord
G 21
FIGURE
Dm/F
Bm/F$
I
3
E7sus4
l 34?
3421
2
Am
E7
Am(maj7)
Ds/F*
Am7
xo
ffi
.
EII+E, 3
o
tTTm
1 intro and verse
Moderately
Slow
n
=
downstroke Y -
upstroke
(verse begins)
w/pick or fingerstyle
Bm/Ff
G
(softly)n n
V n
V n
Vn
Am
E7sus4
*ut"@
Am(maj7)
FIGURE
2 remaining verse chords
tvvo beats
(halfa bar) each
*
one bar each
toC,
c
Cm6, thenG
*tvvo beats each
EE+Ii on beats three and four)
FIGURE
3 chorus strum pattern G
Am7
ffi
ffi Am7 G/B
G
G/B
G9
ffi
Eifi
g
G9
G
(to Am7) (let ring) I
,,,,
I
a
o
FIGURE
FIGURE 5 Elvis Yersion verse chord substitutions
4 remaining chorus chords two beats each
ffi xxoxxxoooooo
ffiffiffiffi t12
Bm7
/o\
Em7 to AmT,D,then
CtYPe
2
CmG
rcG
iEiH t++++t
l3l2ll
lfor Cn6l currAR woRLD lcoustrc 23
l,+rttstProfilel
S Prolific "
rocl?,
BERSI
releas records,
one
ustic.
Bv Gnrc Kor
ONOR OBERST, the singer, songwriter and conscience of Bright Eyes, finds himself very much in demand these days. He's the highest profile ambassador of indie-rock hotbed Omaha, Nebraska, which also has produced such acclaimed band as the Faint, Cursive and Now It's Overhead. And he's fresh offthe Vote for Change tour, in which Bright Eyes shared *adium time with Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M. and John Fogerty. Now a wise, old pro atthe age of 24, Oberst has been writing znd recording music since he was 13. The {ifth and sixth Bright Eyes sh in a Digiwl Um and I' m Wde Aw ake, It's Moming, be simultaneously released by his hometown indie label, Saddle Creek, to kick offzoo5. They capture two sides of Oberst's musical srsonaliry: Digiul displays a percussive, layered approach heavy oo electronic beats and keyboards, while Moming finds Oberst in xoustic mode, performing intimate laments and folk-rock protests
rlbums, Drgiwl,
of dramatic power. The latter is also the {inest showcase yet for the singer's writing and gaitar'playrng talents. It appears that Oberst, who also contributes songs to countless side projects, including the rock band Desaparecidos, has never experienced writer's block. 'Actually, I do get it, and it sucks," he says. "h's physically uncomfonable. I get stressed, and I feel depressed. Then a song shows up, and if it's meant to be, I cant get it out of my head. The process is still mysterious to me."
*****
cUIIAR woRtD
ncousrtc Why two albums, and why now?
coNoR oBERsT We recorded the folk record [Im WdeAuake, in February of zoo4. We'd been playing a lot of those songs live, and it was apparent that they lit together and made sense as a record. We went in and recorded it, and it was really
It s Momingl
sill
currAR woRLD Acousrrc 25
doing the basic tracking for the Digital record in Athens [Georgia], in April of zoo4, and at that point we were still considering just having one record made up of the best of both sessions. But within a few weeks it became pretty obvious that there were two dillerent ideas there. cwA Are the albums companion pieces? oBERsr I think they're completely separate. They were released on the same day for practical-as funny as that soundsrather than artistic reasons. The same people made these albums, but they are different. One is sort of human and flawed and organic, this old Seventies folkrecordsounding thing, and the other one is much more eIfected, with everything manipulated in some way with computers. GWA There is a strong country vibe about Morning-the vocal phrasing, for example, as well as the pedal steel guitar and other twar,gy elements. You were raised on indie rock, but what's your relationship to country music? oBERsT Like most genres, country is very pure at its core, but it's been diluted and polluted. I probably came to it more through the back door-folk singer-songwriters that I liked got me interested in the country part of their music, and that led me to more traditional country stuff. I like Neil Young a lot. He's not exactly a country musician, but there's always country in his songs. Also Townes YanZatdt. I really liked his songs, and his voice was very country. GWA Are the songs onI'mWdtAwake,h's Moming thematically linked? oBERsT It's
weird how it works for
me when I make records. Almost every record we've made has been called a "concept album" by somebody or other. I've always found that strange because all albums should be concept albumsunless you're just putting a collection of singles or B-sides together, which is fine.
But ifyou're going to put out a record it a title and make some sort of overall statement, it should have a concept. That's how we've always made
and give
records. We've always been into songs that blend into one another, recurring themes and weird interludes that connect everything. cwA On Moming, traveling appears to be one of those themes. oBERST Doing what I do, most of my life over the last five years has been spent iust constantly moving around, and basically findingjoy andgreatfreedom in that. But there is also sadness to it It's just been a big part of my life. GYUA On Digiul,\sh, death appears to be an overriding theme. oBERsT I've lost friends and family members in recent years, and it made me more 26 currAR woRLD
Acousrlc
concerned with staying alive,
not to menuon what we're faced with on a daily basis via TV arrd everything else. It's hard not to be afraid for your life. GWA Did writing those
songs help you deal with those losses and that awareness of
your own mortality? OBERST
Definitely. For me that's a big motivation for wrrtrng rn general-to clarify my
own thoughtsI'm the kind ofperson
because
who's... I dont know what you'd call it:
A
space cadet?
Scatterbrained? I go back and
forth on
a
lot
on things I feel and think. To be able to write somerhing down and have it reflect what I'm feeling is a
Ed.l. While that was my main focus, I kept
grear thing. GwA When did you start writing songs? oBERsT Unlike a lot of my friends, I never really learned scales or Metallica riffs
or anything like that. I kind ofwish I had-I would be a better goitar playerI didnt really leam a lot of cover songs, either. From the outset, I was interested in putting words together and singing. So after I leamed a couple of chords, I started making shit up. By the time I was rz, I was recording songs; by the time I was
"l NEVER REAttY s, I ua put our my tEARilED OR
SiltES
first album ltaughsl,
MEIAI.LIfi
RIFFS.IKIilD OF WISH
IWOUI.D A
IHAD-
BE
BEITER
GUITAR
PTAYER."
C
three cassette
:H'*H:iff.II
was in Commander Venus, which was like an indie-rock pop band, until I was about lCommander Vnus, which also included t'uture
fi
membm of the Faint and Cursiue, rcleased one album, lJrreventful Vacation, on Thich in ryg7-
writing acoustic songs, and once that band broke up I reverted back to doing these four-track recordings. All that acoustic shit
I
worked on turned into the {irst Bright Eyes CD, which consisted of songs I recorded between the ages of r5 and q lAColledionof Songs Winen and Recorded: ryo5-r9g7, released on Saddle Creek in zooo]. own What originally motivated you to play goitar? oBERsT Both my dad and my older brother played-my dad in this gospel choir, and my brother with the band Sorry About Dresden, who are also on Saddle Creek. As far back as I can remember guitars were always around, so it wasnt such a weird thing for me to just pick one up even before I learned how to play. Actually, I didnt so much play guitar as play withit. At some point I remember asking my brother and my dad to show me some chords. But I never had any lessons. owl What gaitar are you currently using?
oBERsr
I
play a small-bodied
1973
Martin, the triple-zero series. But my first guitar was a little elec- (continued on page 5t)
ll Swamy rock. kingJOHN FOGERTY talk s about his lifelongodlsse.lt,
28 cUITAR woRLD ACousrrc
with the acoustic guitar and anafuzes his a?? ro ac b to songwriting.
:
I.
)l.
il
il
II
ll
hat is this," complains the red-faced man next to me, "an episode of Unpluged?" I understand his irritation. For what seems like the tenth time in his show, John Fogerty, sanding not 50 feet from us onstage at New Yorks Beacon Theatre, has followed a rousing rendidon of a classic Creedence rocker by exchanging his electric gtritar for an acoustic and launching into a song from his new album, DqaVu NlOuer Again (Ge{Ien) At the Beacon, :marry fans respond to this intrusion of the unfamiliar in traditional rock audience fashion*y heading to the lobby for abeverage or a smoke. Not me. I stay put, although it is hard to sit and listen after you ve spent three exhilarating minutes shouting the lyrics to "Down on the Corner." But unlike most of the crowd, I am familiar with the new album, and I'm eager to hear a particular section of the song that triggered the exodus, "SugarSugar (In My Life)," an upbeat, r&b-ish love song built around a simple acoustic guitar hook. After the second chorus, Fogerty plays the solo, a rapidly picked melodic burst that is packed with perhaps more per beat than arry lead he s a]ly electric elel notes Per ever played. He pulls it off fl awlessly, concluding with a flourish and then pumping his fist ever so slightly. Subtle though it is, Fogerry's celebratory, prideful gesture is highly
uncharacteristic of a man who, even in the days when Creedence was the most popular band in the world, was perhaps the least selfaggrandizing frontman and lead guitarist in all of rock. For example, the only CCR album cover photo in which Fogerq, is clearly set apaft from his bandmates is rg69's GreenRiuer, and there the image is entirely blurred. So how did the historically unflamboyant Fogerry come to celebrate a solo in New York? An even more important question is, How did a man whod never previously recorded an acoustic guitar solo or fingerpicked accompaniment do so with great skill on Deja Vu All Ouer Again? The answer involves understanding 30 GUITAR woRLD AcoUsTIc
what has to be one of the most unusual midlife crises ever to alflict man or rock star. John Fogerry was kind enough to supply the details of this case-his case.
*****
cUITAR wORtD ACoUSTIC DejaVu,\ll Ouer Agtinis by far the most acoustic album you've done. How did you get so
unplugged? JoHN FoGERTY In 1993, when I was 48 years old, I reconnected with a vow I'd made to myself when I was about rz. I was a big fan of Chet Atkins's acoustic playing back then, and other guitarists like him, and I made myself a promise that I would grow up and be like those guys-that I was going to be very good. GwA What happened? FocERTY Well, surf music
came along, I played in fraternity bands and spent a lot
of time playrng "Wipe Out" and "Louie Louie." ReaIIy, my central pillar had always been rock and roll and also r&b-I followed Elvis, followed the Beatles, and got caught up with the whole Stax thing. Along the way I had litde side trips with country guys like Hank Williams and Lefry Frizzell, and once in a while I'd hear a Chet Atkins song and just shake my head and say, "Yeah, I cant do that." Eventually I became famous, arrd by then it was too late. cwl What brought you back to the acoustic? FOGERTY It was the Dobro-the unique and soulful sound of the Dobro. I'd always
lt loved it, and I happened to buy one at a guitar show in 1992. cwA You played a lot of Dobro on rgg7's BlueMoonSwamp. FocERTY That's right. But earlier than that it led me to listen to Jerry Douglas, which is not surprising since all roads Dobro lead to Jerry, who has taken it to another level. And I must say that along the wayJerry has become my favorite musician of all time. I mean he is it-if he played electric guitar, he would be Hendrix. His sound, his feel and his technical abiliry make you go, "Oh!" GwA He plays on DejaVuAllOuuAgain. FoGERTY He does an especially amaz' ing-beautiful-job on "I \Mill Walk With You." Anyway, it was from listening to Jerry that I discovered this incredible set of musicians that he often plays with on his records, among them acoustic guitarists like Tony Rice and Russ Barenberg. I listened to their stufffor a couple of months, just getting my mind blown by what they could do, when one day it triggered my recollecdon that I'd once promised myself I'd be like Chet. Rice and Barenberg are flatpickers and Chet fingerpicked, so now it meant
being like tfum.kwas like some kind of nuclear bomb in my head. It was a revelaEon. GWA Where did you go from there? FoGERTY To fucky Skaggs. Hes someone who could walk up to the mike at the Grand Ole Opry and just rip, like the old-time bluegrass guys did, and it would sound totally edited, perfect, like it was on a record. When you see what he could do and compare it to what I could do at the time, you'd know the difference. I mean, hes Willie Mays and I'm some guy in the
minor leagues. cwA How did you hook up with him? FoGERTY I was living in Nashville at the time, and when he wanted me to be on this tribute to Bill Monroe-I wound up singing "BIue Moon of Kentucky"-I said, "Okay, but here's my price: an hour's music lesson." 'Cause it dawned on me that I was within arrns distance of these guitarists who were my heroes. 'John," I told myself, "youd better {igure out some way you can get yourself in the same room with these guys," and so I finagled my way into getting picking lessons
from people. GWA You had your acoustic epiphany more than a decade ago. As your flatpicking od D ej a Vu AII Ou er Agtin demonstrates-I'm thinking panicularly of the single-string solos and fills you play on "Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)" and "Rhubarb Pie"-youve made great strides in your playing. What have you done to get to this point? FoGERTY I'd say I have elevated my play-
1$tTli ;t'l
l!':
)
Ir lt
ilil1ilt
ilililililililililililililililililililililililrrilrilililt
ing quite a bit in ro years. How did I do ir? The first answer is that I practiced. And I needed to-I mean, I was woeful. Rock and roll guitar playing is full ofall kinds ofaccepuble bad habits. So I started to examine my own playing and found there were a lot of things wrong with my game. For example, in my day no rock and roll player would use his little finger-that was for the guys who were good,like ljazz g:i' tarist] Barney Kessel. We're not born with strong licde fingers, so that was something to get out of rhe way. You can play most ofthe solos I ever played on my records without a little finger, to tell you the truth So I basically set out trying to get all the fin-
gers, including the little one, to be ofequal screngrh. GwA How did you develop your soloing
skills? FoGERTY By doing things I'd never done before I started playing scales, like rhe C major scale you play in the first position,
way up the neck. lt's pretq.I learned to play in the blues box, where everything was pentatonic, with an extra note here and there Basically it was the notes to "Rumble" which I learned in 1958 [sings] The other thing was to clean up my flatpicking That was really important. I had been playing by holding a pick with my rhumb and index finger, and augmenting that wich the middle
and ring fingers. cwa Whac specific goals did you have as you practiced? FocERTY I wanted to be able to do on guitar the kind of thing Bill Monroe did on mandolin-that lilting, endless flow of notes; that was my idea of nirvana I asked myself, "How do you do that?" Well, youve gotta Bet your wrist to be free, and I'd never done that. I'd always planted two and even three {ingers and just rested them on the guitar, and sometimes even hooked my fingers under the first string, to get more volume or something. I was determined co get that wrist free, and I wenr to a rrraga' zine rack-it happened to be somewhere in Scandinavia-bought about four guitar magazir.es, and one actually had a little article about rhat exact subject. And I practiced
cwn What guitars did you use onDeja Vu?
FoGERTY A lot of Thylors. There was an 8ro model, and a go that I played on "I Will Walk With You." And rhere's amagical old 5ro, my Number One, that I used on much of the record That poor guitar's been out on the road for 10 years, and it's had its share of abuse-been to campfires, my kids' outdoor variety shows. I didnc take particularly grear care of it, but I do now. It's never going anywhere, other than the studio GWA How did you record the guitars? FOGERTY Most of the dme we were multi-miking The main mic, an AKG C rz, belonged to the engineer, Ross Hogarth; it sounded just gorgeous.
cwA Did you multi-track the acoustics? FoGERTY "Sugar" probably has only one guitar. "Deja Vu-' has two or three going on, and I used dillerent picks to get a diflerent sonic texture from each of them. The heavier picks give me aharder attack, and I use the rhin ones for kind of a chimey thing. I (continued on page 86) did the same sort
of
32 currAR woRLD
ACousrrc
BYMATT SCHARFGLASS f
HERE ARE BASICALL) three
I
;:i,:",* !l [:tT,: n:fl]l;ltJin,,
"either you h:rve it or you donr"-in orher words, songwrirers are born, not made Orhers subscribe to the tluasi-mystical notion that all songs have already been
written :rnd ;rre out rhere in the ether-one
34 cu rrAR woRLD AC()usrrc
simply must be open ro receiving them Finally, you've got tl-rose who regard songr.vriring :rs ;r cr.rflr, u,ith its own set ol' rules and techniques th;rt even rhe average musician c;rn le;rrn While it u'ould be presurnpruous ro determine th:rt :rn1, one school is righr, w,e will explore the idea rh:u songrvriting, like
Ji
I
basketball, drawing and skeet shooting, can be taught. Of course, just as practicing a jump shot does not gnararrtee admission to the NBA, no amount of information about songwriting can turn someone into Paul McCartney-or Paul Stanley, for that matter. The idea is that an understanding of songwriting basics will help you come that much closer to fully realizing whatever
"talent" you were endowed with by God
or fate.
ffChords and Spa* Even if one were to limit himself to an examination of pop songwriting over the last 4o years, a true instructional "guide" would take up many volumes as it would involve a serious study of musical theory. Our aim here is to provide a sampling of common chord progressions that you can use with your own songs, and to examine some of the things a guitarist can do to add a little zip co his songs. All popular tunes, regardless ofgenre, are based on chord progressions. Even ifa song consists mosdy of single-note riffs (Led Zeppelins "Black Dog" is a good example) or an a cappelk vocal line (Suzanne Vega's "Torns Diner" comes to mind), chords and overall harmony are sdll implied or alluded to by the melody. Understanding chords-and the way they relate to each other-is pretty much the foundation of a-ll PoP songwntrnS. In your travels, youve no doubt encountered chords and chord progressions described in numerical terms-perhaps a musician telling a band mate to "move to the five chord," or a blues historian reGrring
to a "I-IV-V" pattern. The terminology in both examples is explained in FIGURE 1, which illustrates triads (three-note chord voicings) built on major scales in the
guitar-friendly keys of C, D, E, G and A. The Romaa numerals included underneath the chords indicate scale degrees; those in uppercase represent major tonalities while those in lowercase signify the minor (the vii'is diminished). In the Iirst bar of the figure, C is the I ('bne") chord, making F-the fourth degree of the scale-its corresponding IV ("four") chord. Consequently, al'lY-Y progression in this key would be C-F-G. To determine the I-IVV in the other keys illustrated in FIGURE 1, simply replicate the approach we took in C. To give you a feel for a pattern that includes minor chords, let's take a brief look at the l-oi-ii4/ progression, a sequence that pops up in countless pop and rock songs. In the key of D, as illustrated in the second bar ofrlGURE 1, the chords would be D-Bm-Em-A. Again, refer to the figure to determine this progression in the other keys. Now let's look at some common pop chord progressions and examples of wellIanown songs in which they appear. As an aspiring pop songwriter, faniliarizirrg yourself with these progressions should prove invaluable to you.
X Four-chord Progressions You couldnt turn on the radio r95o's a:rd avoid hearing
progression
in the
thel-ui-N-V
in any number ofsongs. And
you dont have to be a 65-year-old doo' wop fan who bursts into tears at the mere mention of "In The Still of the Night" or "Earth Angel" to be familiar with the l-vi-IV-V-just ask arry teenager who slowdanced to Hoobastank's "The Reason' ftey of E: E-C+m-A-B) at his prom this year. AII of Uz's "With or Without You'is a l-V-ui-N progression in the key of D (D-ABm-G). The Beatles'timeless "Let It Be" ftey
C C
s 5
z asc
oa uF u= 9L
i; oO:
36 currAR woRLD ACousrIc
.l1'C: C-G-Am-F) is also largely b:rsed on rl-us sequence
Boston scored huge with rhe ti-lY-l-V "Peace of Mind" (key of E: i.rogression in J*m-A-E-B), as did Avril Lavigne more :han zo ye;rrs lzrter in the choruses of her r.r.reg;r-hit "Complicated" (key of F: Dm-Bb-F-C)
x' [-V-lV,rnJ I IV V progressions rle probably the most basic rn pop music; both rre used so often that even lister-rers wl-ro
lont know a IV chord from a loreskin cogni-e them intuitively. One of Pearl Jam's -.iggest hits, "Yellow Ledbetter," is based
:-e
-rpon the I-V-IV sequence in the key ofE E-B-A); "Twist and Shout," an enormous hit lbr rhe Beatles, is nothing more rhan a I-IV-V in D (D-G-A) Other notable songs ruilt on these progresslons include The W}ros "Baba O'Riley," (key of F: F-C-Bb), Pete Townsl-rend's "Let My Love Open the Door," (key of C: C-G-F) and contemporary :rits like Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom" key of E: E-A-B-A) Wl-rat do Jackson Browne's "These lays," Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr Bojangles," i:rul Simons 'America" and Bob Dylans Dont Think T\r,ice, ft's All Right" have in :ommon? All are based to some degree on 'he l-Y-ui-I-IV progression, a sequence that '- nr.rins populrr rmong singer-songwriters Jne prrobable reason lor its enduring rppeal is that, when pl:ryed in the key of .- (C-G-Am-C-F), it lits-and there's re:Llly rLr betrer way of saying this-just right n rhe lretboard Also 'just right" in C is \ I II-V I (C-A- D--C--C). .r progression ::.rt rvas originally popularized by r:rgtlme
players more than roo years ago and appears in such modern hits as John Sebastians "Daydream" and Arlo Guthrie's 'Alice's Restaurant " The r-Yll-VI is famili:rr to anyone who knows rhe outro solo section o1'Led Zeppelins "stairway to Heaven' (key olA mrnor: Am-G-F) Adding another VII chord to rhis rhree-chord progression gives vou 'All Along the Jin-ri Hendrix's version of Watchtower" (key of C+ mrnor: C+m-B-A-B) and the chorus ofAerosmiths "Dre:rm On' FIGUBE
l
(key o1-F rninor: Fm-Eb-Db-Eb) The I-bVII-M (key of C: C-Bb-F) features rhe "flrr seven" chord This plogression appe:irs in countless songs, among them Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alab;rm;r" (key of D: D-C-G) and any nun.rber o1-AC/ DC songs, ir.rcluding "Back in Black" (key o1' E: E-D-A) ;rnd "Shoot to Thrill" (key o1'A:
A-G-D)
When you're just starting our 2ls a songwriter, leel lree to borrow any of the chord progressions crted above-just
ma.ior scale triads
ker of C
ke-y
CDmEmF
o[ D D
Em
F$m
cf.
Bm
_o_2_4 6_7 -0-2-3-5-7-8-.t0 -2-4-5-7 -9-11 ker ot'E
E Ffm G*m
9-11 -12
key of G A
C$m
D#.
GAmBm
Em Ff'
........._2........._4-........_5-...-7-9-10
_2-4-6-8-9-1.1 -4-6-7-9-1.t
-12 -13 -.t3 -14
kev ofA
GUIT,\R WORt-D
COUSTIC 37
FIGUBE3 open-string drones *C$m7
FIGURE
4 open-string drone C
take care not to also borrow the melodies. George Harrison made this mistake when he wrote "My Sweet Lord," and wound up having to pay the composers of "Hes So Fine" a not-so-sweet bundle of cash
X Minimalist Songwriting A song containing as few as one or two chords can be just as well-crafted as a far more intricate composition Of course, the world is full of guitarists who play a D-to-G strum pattern ad infinitum, rhyme "fire" with "desire," and declare that they've writ[en a song Your goal as a songwriter is to not be that person. The Who kept their two-chord masterpiece "My Generation' interesting by changing keys every couple of verses. The same trick rescues Sublime's "Wrong Way," another two-chord gem. You might imagine that a one-chord song couldnt possibly be interesting, yet Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" works
38 currAR woRLD ACousrIC
ofits provocative message and cool band arrangement, while Harry Nilssons "Coconut" became a hit on the strength of his memorable lyrics and vocal performance Clearly, if you're going to limit yourself to one or two chords when writing a song, you should strive to give your composition a fresh angle, something special that'll transcend its inherent limitations As a guitarist, you have a distinct advantage in rhis regard because there are many things you can do with your instrument to make those one, two or however many chords you choose sound fresh One elfective way to put a twist on otherwise plain chords is to combine openstring dronzs wirh fretted chord shapes. A simple approach, illustrated in FIGURE 2, is to play a single open-string bass note while di{Ierent chords are played over it. Or try having open treble strings ring over shifting chords (rtGuRE 3). Using open-string because
FIGURE
5b capo seond fret
tEl D
FIGURE6
tming(towtohigh):EADGBD
Cadd2
-t
ffiffi
Aadd4
drones sometimes involves having to ffnd
dillerent ways of fretting common chords; in FIGURE 4, the open G string rings out against unusuallyvoiced C, Em arld D chords. An even easier way to spice up the sound of a run-opthe-mill chord is to use a capo to produce a brighter or more colorful voicing. FIGURES 5A and 5B illustrate how this simple little accessory can give a chord progression a di{Ierent texture. Play the conventional E, F*m7 and A chords depicted in FIGURE 5A. Now apply a capo at the second fret ofyour guitar and play the D, Em7 and G grips shown in FIGURE 58. Since the capo has transposed everything up by one whole step, the actual pitches of these chords are now E, F+m7 and A, respectiv+ While the chords are the same as in FIGURE 5A, the overall vibe is di{ferent. Many guitarists use altered tunings to breathe new life into chords and progressions; Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stil1s, Nick Drake and Ani DiFranco are among the world's most notorious de-tuners. There are far too many popular open tunings for us to examine here, so let's start offwith a simple one: Tune your high E string down 40 currAR woRLD Acousrrc
*1-
tF$m4 Em7
Em
t#
ffi
e^)'
to D and tryplaytngthe chords illustrated in FIGURE 6. Even changing the tuning of a single string can open up a world of new harmonic possibilities. There are many other ways to spruce up ordinary chords and progressions with your guitar. One is to vary your pickhand technique to create dynamic and rhythmic contrast. Particularly adept at this is Paul Simon, who alternates between fingerpicking and strumming in many z c songs, including "The Boxer," "The Sound of Silence," "Duncan' and'American Tune." o z Perhaps the most important lesson to c be gleaned from our discussion is that a a songwriter need not hrow lots of theory z or even chords to be successful. Disparate artists like Chuck Berry, Neil Young, John z Fogerry and Simon have created many = enduring classics using simple chord 6 z progressions, which theyjazzed up, so to speak, with some memorable but hardly z o corqplicated guitar playing. None of them began as a genius. AII started out with a o gitar, a few chords and their fingers. You re all set. r o
O
Check out Matt's website at mlsgrundy.com
z
-
j'a\
::ir:
want to prove thzr.t the zrcouStic guitar czrn be a tough instrument," says Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. 'A lot of tirnes when people bring up zrcouStic guitzrr, you get an image o{'someone sitting in a hallway singing 'I Gave My Love a Cherry.' " r While he's widely hailed as the godfather of current pop punk and the Warped generation s archetypal snotnosed wiseguy, Armstrong is no Strzrnger to the acouStic. After all, Green Day's biggest hit to date was the 1997 acouStic-driven ballad "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." AcouStic guitar also played a prominent role on the band's excellent zooo album,Warning. Bur Billie Joe relied more heavily on the instrument than ever before to create Green Day's latest oprs, Americanldlot (Reprise) Acoustic guitar is woven throughout the disc, lending depth and punch to the alburns adrenaline-paced rock songs and playing a more prominent role on reflective ballads like "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Give Me Novacaine" and Armstrong's powerful rumination on his father's death, "Wake Me Up When September Ends." Armstrong never uses the acoustic simply for the sake of doing so, but rather
44
GUTTAR
woRLD ACousrIC
demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how the instrument can be used in a
punk context Ameicanldiotis many things, but no one would mistake it for "I Gave My Love a Cherry." So what is it? For one ching, a powerful album that successfully mixes introspective material with some of Green Day's most overt policical statements to dace. Barbed
topical allusions abound in songs like "Holiday," with its references to "President Gasman' and "the representative from California." More ambitiously, it is the first
punk opera ever recorded, with a recurring main character-Jesus of Suburbia-whose experiences clearly are meant to represent a dysfunctional American society
with Ritalin kids, reality TV
riddled
and, what
is obviously most dangerous of all
in Armstrong's mind, a mendacious and irresponsible administration in Washington. "Weve always thought of ourselves as punks," says Armstrong. "Buc for me, this goes beyond punk rock. Concern for what's going on in the world shouldnt just be in an underground movement, but in the mainstream, coo Somebody like John Lennon wasn't a punk, but he definitely acted like one lt's always been important for me to share my opinions a litde bit " Billie Joe Armsuong is one tough guy. No wonder he's playing acoustic guitar.
*****
GUITAR woRLD
AcousTlc American Idiot
your most political album. In some ways it's very much in the folk protest song tradition-right down co your heavT is by far
reliance on the acoustic guitar.
I didnt in the park
BtLLlE.,oE ARMsTRoNG Yeah. But
wanc to come offas some guy
with an acoustic guitar, geeking out with
a
bunch of crystals. For me it was a question of "How do you get your message across and still remain tough, without looking like a hippie?" I think that's why Bob Dylan arrd flate Clash singer and guitarist] Joe Strummer have more in common than, say, Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie. Think of songs like [Dylans] "Masters of War," an ar,gry song that he played on acousdc but could just as easily been recorded on electric. GwA Did you find it di{licult to avoid sounding stilted or preachy on the political stuff? ARMSTRoNG It came down to just doing it. For me it comes from the same source of inspiradon as writing a love song You cant really fake something like that. You carit write a song about a girl just for the sake of having a hit. The same goes for writing
political songs. They have to be focused and inspired. GwA What message are you trying to
impart with these songs? ARMSTRoNG
That there are more people
.,THE
ACOUSTIC IS LIKE A CHARACTER CN THE ALBUM, THOUGH SCMETIMES YOU DON T REALIZE IT S THERE THEN,
SUDDENLY IT CHIMES THROUGH" song
C minor chord change. ARMsTRONG Yeah, that's one of my favorite chord changes of all time. It's got that sort of sad, Beatles/Dave Clark Five kind of thing about it. It sends chills up your spine. For rock musicians, these things are ingrained in your mind somewhere Either you access that kind of stuff, or you end up playing in dropped D for the rest of your life. cwA What acoustic did you use for that song? The other songs? ARMSTRONG I used an AlvarezYairi
than ever who feel disenfranchised. That instead of having four years of a redneck agenda, it's gonna be eight. cwA How would you characterizeyour use of the acoustic guitar on the album? ARMsTRONc It's played Green Day: (l-r) pretty much throughout barsist Miks Dirnt, the entire record, mostly Billie Joe Armstrong, drummcr T16 Cool underneath the electrics. I wanted to take advantage of the acoustic's percussive qualities.
The dynamics come out a little more with the acoustic guitar on there. The acoustic is sort oflike a character on the album. Sometimes you dont realize it's there. By the time Ia predominantly acouscic song] Iike "Wake Me Up When September Ends" comes along, you've been hearing that "character" throughout the record. Then, suddenly, it chimes through. GwA "Wake Me Up When September Ends" really pivots around an acoustic guitar figure in which the open G string really rings out. Did that come first when you were writing the song? ARM5TRoNG No, the drum beat came first. It was very simple. That song was laid ouc as sort of a sketch that we flipflopped with a little bit But
[producer] Rob Cavallo said, "Let's see how much we can bring this song out. Let's give it more of an incroduction, ald see if we can really build the 46 currAR woRLD ACousrIc
from something chat's really quiet to
something thaCs huge at the end." GwA The song has that cool C major to
pretty much on the entire album. There were a couple ofother ones lying around, including a Gibson J-zoo, but the main acoustic is the Yairi. I dont know the model number off the cop of my head, but I lsrow I goc ic in Japan. I didnt really know what I was gettlng. GWA On the lyric sheet included in the booklet accompanying the Ameicatldiot CD, many of the songs have dates and sometimes places noted near the titles. Why? ARM5TRoNG That has to do with the [operatic] concept of the album. We did that to help track the characters in the songs, and to give a timeline to the series of
events.
cwA The date for "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is September ro, which is, of course, one day before the rth. And it's track number u on the album. ARMSTRoNG I never thought about it being che rth song on the record before. That's kind of eerie. A lot of people are going to view that song as a reflection on 9/u, though that was not my intention in writing it. For me, September is the month my father died. Peoples lives tend to go in cycles: the best times and the worst cimes of their lives. And September always ends up being that worst time for me. For some
reason, problems always keep cropping up for me in September. It's a heawy monthpeople are going back to school, there's a change in the weather... it feels like the end and the beginning of something much more than December 3r. cwl Another big acoustic number on the album is "Boulevard of Broken Dreams " How did that one come together? ARMSTRoNG My kid is starting to play
drums, so I put a four-track in his room. And then I got inspired co start messing around with that song in his bedroom It just ended up writing icself. That was an acoustic song for sure, but what I wanted to do was split it becween electric and
acoustic And one thing I really wanted to do was to get it to transition nicely from the song chat comes before it, "Holiday."
"Holiday" was originally written in E minor, and "Boulevard" was written in F sharp. And I said, "What if we connected these?" So I did them both in fl with a capo on the first fret. That's the thing I tried to do throughout the record-ifyou geek out and listen close enough, all the keys are relevant to each other from song to song. "Boulevard" goes from F sharp down to an E on che very last note. So you go from that E into the next song, 'Are We the Waiting," which is in A. It's sort ofa nice segue.
GWA In "Give Me Novacaine," you have dillerent acoustic guitars coming through the left and right channels. ARMSTRONG Yeah. The first one you
hear is the Yairi, capoed at the fifth fret. It's kind of a janfly part. When the vocal comes in, I just strum along on a second acoustic, which is warmer sounding; it helps bring out the beginning of che vocal. But I can t remember what kind of acoustic that second one was-it may even have been someone else's. I sometimes get more inspired by playrng other people's acoustics. Like if you're sitting at a friend's house and hes got an acoustic over there. You pick it up and, che next thing you know, you ve got a song in your head. GwA You mentioned that you layered acoustic guitars on the electric guitar-driven songs. Did you record the acoustics before
you laid down the electrics? ARMsTRoNG I did it afterwards It's funny: you put the eleccrics on and you're like, "Wow, this sounds really huge." And then you put the acoustic on after that and you're like, "Oh my God, it really needed that!" It's almost that "Where have you been all my life?" phenomenon-that elusive thing you've always been looking for. owe Whac approach did you take to recording the acoustic guitars? ARMSTRoNG The main thing was I
48 cUITAR woRLD
Acousrlc
didnt want to go direct, with kind of builrin pickups
any
straight into the board. For some reason, that always takes away the attack, softens the sound I hate that direct sound. So we used mic placement the whole time. cwA Was your first guitar an acoustic? ARMSTRoNG
I played an acoustic for a couple
of
months when I was a kid; I must have been four or five years old. Music has always been in my household, whether it was my dad playing jazz, or my sister playing clarinet or something like that And we always had an acoustic guitar around the house-just a piece-of-shit nylon-string. My sister tried to play it for a while, but that never really panned out. So it was jusc laying around for me to toy with. I remember really liking the acoustic guitar as a kid. It looked tough on Elvis Presiey
for some reason, even
though he was barely even
GwA Was any of the early Green Day material written on acoustic guitar? ARMSTRONG Yeah, a lot of stu{I When I was a freshman in high school I got a r2-sLring;
I cant remember the brand.
PuRE. NnruRA[. Sourud. John Standefer - 2002 National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion: "l've been on the quest to find the perfect pickups
My mother got it from this guy who specialized in finding illegal instruments-stolen goods, as they say. I just played it all the time. And I think rhat's what
I really started to
I ended up smashing the thing when I was about r8 years old, living in a warehouse in Oakland. But write
songs on.
I would say songs from our earliest days, like "r,ooo Hours" and "Only of You," from our
first album frygls
r,ojg/Smoothed
Out Slappl Hours], were
written
on that guitar
cwA But by the time ofyour breakthrough album, [r994's] Dookie, yort were writing more on elecrric? ARMSTRONG
I thiNK
thE
more important transition for me was
from
(continued on page 5r)
currAR woRLD Acousrlc 49
GREEN DAY (cotinuedftornpage
49)
rwiting ot any gtitar to wilting in my head a little more. Doing it mentally, rather than
with guitar ri{Is and then basing on that cu/A Did that make a big difference for
coming up a song
you?
ARMsTRoNc I
think
so. The older You
get, you become more ambitious, but you also become more selftconscious. So I was writing in secret a little bit more by the time
ofDookie. I had no audience at first, but when people actually started showing up to Green Day gigs and buying our records, there was more pressure and more criticism. So I ended up doing it in my world a little
bit more.
cwl Who are some of your favorite songwriters?
The first Person who John Lennon. AIso Elvis Costello and David Bowie. And I really love the first Generation X album. I'm really more a fan of songs, and not songwriters so much. Like that Christina Aguilera song"Beaudful"-that's a good song. I hate to say it, and I would never call Christina Aguilera one of my favorite songwriters, but I like good music, you know? cwn What about acoustic guitarists? ARMSTRoNG Bob Dylan, certainly. Songs like "ICs Alright Ma, (I'm Only Bleeding)" are so tough. That chord riffhe plays after every chorus-it's like hos hammering on it. I like that angry sentiment he projects there, that real physical side o[ the acoustic guitar. The same with Pete Townshend. I love ARMSTRONG
comes to
BR
mind
is
IGHT EY ES (continud from page z6)
tric Fender Squire. I saved money arrd finally bought this American-made Telecaster that I played for a long time. I also had a Taylor acoustic guitar for a while that met a tragic end: It got smashed in a fit of something during a Bright Eyes show. I lost my voice, and I was highly fatigued and not all there, mentally. I broke my only guitar' It's not like I could afford to get another one. cwA End ofthe show huh? oBERST Yeah. That was the end of that show. GWA In general, how do you feel about guitar-smashing?
I dorit think it's cool. It's not something I'm proud of. In fact, I rememoBERsT
ber that after I broke my Taylor my dad
just kind of shook his head, you know? He was disappointed because we were always aught to respect the instruments. At the same dme, some guitars just run out of mojo. You just execute'em and move on. GWA You participated in the "Vote for Change" tour this past fall with Bruce
,,I
DIDN'T WANT TO COME OFF AS SOME GUY IN THE PARK WITH AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR, GEEKING OUT WITH A BUNCH OF CRYSTALS
the way he sort of accents the drums with the acoustic on songs like "substitute" and
"Pinball Wizard" GwA Given Green Day's history as punk rockers, it's interesting that the almost completely acoustic "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," from r997's Nimrod, has been
your biggest hit single to date. ARMSTRoNG I wrote that right around when we were recording Dookie; I didnt really think ofit as being for an album or anything. It's about an ex-girlfriend who had moved to Ecuador. In the song, I tried to be completely levelheaded about her leaving, even though I was completely pissed off. So I named it "Good Riddance," Just to exPress my anger. cwA Did the huge success of that song embolden you to use more acoustic guitars on zooo's Warning? ARMSTRoNG Yeah, I started Setting into acoustic more, and used one on "Hold On," "Warning," "Macy's Day Parade" and some of the other songs on that album. I was trying to make the acoustic guitar sound
Springsteen, R.E M. and John Fogerty. Clearly, you feel that musicians need to participate in the political process. How
much of that impulse filtered into the new albums? oBERsr I dont really premeditate too much before writing a song. I dorit think "I'm going to write a protest song." It's more like I just write what's on my mind. I think pretry much everyone who is not completely delusional would have this on their minds-politics and the state of things
in America. oYVl That really comes across in the song "Landlocked Blues," from Morning, which youve been performing for a couple ofyears as "One Foot in Front of the Other." oBERsT It's not so much a direct state-
ment about the government but rather a reflection on how politics affects individuals. The things done by our government have a direct impact on our lives and our psyches. I think that the current administration has been very willing and able to abuse people's minds with what
a percussive instrument, the way Pete Townshend does. I mainly played a Thylor on those songs, and also the same Guild that I used on "Time of Your Life." cwA Do you always play with a Pick? Do you ever fingerpick? ARMSTRONG I pretry much alwaYs play with a pick. I can do a little bit of Iingerpicking, but I dont like to get too Simon and Garfunkel. You gotta watch yourselfon that stuff. GWA Has Green Day ever played an
like
acoustic show? ARMSTRONG Yeah.
We've done the
benefit for the Bridge School that Neil Young puts on every year. And in the early days we always brought an acoustic guitar on tour with us. Our shows back then were booked in basements and veterans halls by kids who didnt always have the proper legal permits and all that, so when a show would be shut down for exceeding the noise levels, we would have an acoustic there and still be able to play. I chink that's one thing we had over a lot ofother punk bands: the show was able to go on. There's a picture of us on the back of [r992's] Kerplunh in which Tre, lCool, drummerl is holding an acoustic guitar. That picture was taken in Tucson, Arizona, where the show was shut down because people down the street complained about the noise.
cI{A I imagine your songs sounded pretry good on acoustic... ARMSTRONG Yeah. I mean they ended up sounding like the Violent Femmes, but they still were okay. r
they say. There's a contradiction between what they say and what they do and why they're doing it. They hope to keep us all afraid and in line That song is a response to that feeling. GwA Do you buy into the idea that the worse the political climate, the better the music? oBERsr
I rhink it definitely increases
the potency. In my mind, art and music have always been a real force in terms of changing popular culture and the way people think of themselves in relation to their society. It's not necessarily that the music gets better, but that maybe people, in times of war and crisis, look to what
otherwise might just be entertainment for some kind of solace or direction. Music canbe a compass for the differences between the way societies or the government operate and the way that peoPle really feel. It's not these corporations and these special interest groups making the laws, it's the people. I think that's always been the role of music in America-to offer some other voice. I cuITAR woRLD Acousrrc
51
E.ZGUITA
4
Ar r ange d by Matt S charfgl a s s
FRIENDS Led Zeppelin As heard on the Atlantic recording
Le
d
Zeppelin lll .
By Jimmy Page and
Robert Plant
Open C6 tuning (low to high): C A C G C E.
c
cilr cx
c(f4)
c(b2l
oxoo
rTrrn
ffi ffi ffi-ro'r"m'.
ffi
c(b3)
4fr
ffi.'"
t4
rJ?=i'l,t basicstrumpattern:ft
llr) ) ) n nV
cI
n
NVNV
cx Bright
c6 I
stop
cil
friend
cx
Black night
stillthere shinin'
c(#4)
c02)
keep on climbin' lookin'forwhat lknew
cr
Had a
NVNVNVNV
c(#4)
almost blindin'
cn
can't
c6
light
c(#4)
c*
Now she's gone and lelt me only
cx
cx
"You got a love
she once told me
crr
You ain't
c(#4)
CmaiT
Cv"
lonely'
c(b2)
lookin'lorwhat lknew
c(#4)
cx
c(#4)
c
(Ah
c6
= downstroke
V = upstroke
ah
ah)
chorus:
c
Mm
l'mtellin'you
now
thegreatestthing youevercandonow
lstrade asmilewith someonewho'sblue
now
lt'svery easy jusla...
c
52 curren woRLD
Acousrlc
c(4)
oxoo rTFr-n 8fr
ffi
c
Without
Met a man on the roadside cryin'
c6
crt c6
lriend
there's no denyin'
c02)
lookin' lor what you knew
incomplete there'll be nolindin'
cr
cx
c(#4)
don't let'em down although it could ease you
So any time somebody needs you
c(#4)
cn'
c(b2)
lookin' lor what you knew
Someday you'll need-a someone like they do
c,
c
a
c(#4)
cn'
You're
cx
c(#4)
cx
c*
c(#4)
ah
(Ah
c6
CmaiT
c
c(#4)
fy ^vll
ah)
chorus:
c l'mtellin'you
now
thegreatestthing youeYercandonow
ls trade a smile with someone who's blue
now
lt's very easy
14n
c
c(b3)
crr
Myry My
My
My my
my
cv,
cx
my
My
my
c6
my
c(#4)
cx
cvlr
yeah
c(4)
c(2)
my
Aw
iust'a-
my
c(b3)
c(2)
c(4)
g
c(#4)
c,
c(b3)
c(2)
yeah
c(2)
c6
l'm tellin'you now
e The greatest
thing
you eyer can do
now
is
trade a smile with someone who's blue now
?tr
\,
It's very
copyright
@
easy
lt's very
easy
lt's very
easy
lt's easy
easy
Yeah
yeah
1970,1991Superhypc Publishins,lnc. AllRiehts Admltrr_d !t IBl.4USlC CORP. Used by Permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S.lNC., MlAMl, F133014.
A[i{gftr R"'.rved.
GUITAR WORLD ,c.COuSttC 53
EVERYBODY HURTS R.E.M. As heard on the Warner Brothers recordingAuto maticforthe People. By William Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mlchael Mi!!s
D
Gs
Gs/Ff
ffiffiffi basicsrumpa*T,
Bm C
Em
g
ffi
l8 il',l
Effi
Am
EE+ti EIfHi Effii t4231 tllll l''l = downstrokz v = upstroke
)
D
G/B
G5
D
When your day is long
G5
and the night
D
G5
the night
is
yours alone
G5
D
When you're sure you've had enough
of this
lile
wellhang on
chorus:
EmA
EmA
Don'tletyoursell go,
'cause everybody cries
D
G5 is
wrong
G5
When yourday is night alone
!f you
DG5 ll you think you've had too much
cuttar. woRLD Acousrrc
feel like letting go
(Hold or, hold
(Hold on)
54
Now it's time to sing along
G5D
D
and everybody h u rts so metime s
G5
D Sometimes everything
A
Em
D of this life
G5 well hang on
on)
G5/F#
GSIF*
chorus:
'Cause everybody
hurts
Everybodyhurts
Take comfort in your lriends
Bm
F#
A
Em
Em
Em
Don't throw your hand
F#
Bm
oh
no
Bm
F#
Don't throw your hand
C
G5
GIB
Am
nq nq no, you are not alone
lf you leel like you're alone
G5
G5 lf you're on your
own
in this
When you think you've had too
the days and nights are long
G5
D
G5
D
llfe
much
of this
lile
GSIF*
to hang on
chorus:
EmAEmA
Em
Welleverybodyhurts uhsometimes
G5 hold
on
hold
sometimes
G5 But everybody
on
Everybodyhurts
Everybodycries
G5
D
A
hurts
DG5
sometimes
on
hold
on
hold
on
on
hold
on
hold
on
DG5DG5
colrdshro199:r NIGHTGARDEN MUSIC.AllRlrhtrAdmhl.tmd Allltirli. R.cd.AU..d5,hmi.d,on.WARNERBROiPUBLIC
So hold
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Everybody hurts
l,WARNER-TAMEiL NEP-U-EtlSHlilGcoRP. U.t INC' MIAMI' FL3:1O14
TIONS
curr rworlD acoulrlc
55
ON THE WAY DOWN RyanCabrera As heard on the Atlantic recording
Take
lt All Away. Words and Music
by Ryan Cabrera,
Curt Frasca and Sabelle Breer
flcapo at first fret All chord slupes are relative to the capo. All chords sound one half step higher than written (kcy of F minor).
E?S%rJ
gTqg G9ltd.g Bm(4)
ffiffi,
"Em7
Cs G5 D
,T D1 fT i=fr:::;. n nvnvn n nv 'r n nV
Cmai9
G6rdd9
Bm(4) (2t
Cmai9
Gtuddg
Bm(4)
Sick and tired o{ this
Elsu4
world
Cmi9
There's no more air
Gfudd9
Bm(4)
Trippin'over myself
E7suc4
Goin'nowhere
Cmai9
G6!dd9
Waitin'
sullocatin'
E7sus4 Cmai9 No direction
Bm7(4)
Gfudd9 I
took a dive and
chorus:
Enl
C5
G5
Onthewaydown
I
D
sawyou andyou saved
EnT C5 G5
D
Dsug4
melrom mysell Dsus4
And I won't lorget the way you loved me and
Enl C5 Onthewaydown
Enl
I
G5
D
Dsus4
almost
lell
rightthrough
c5 Butlheldontoyou
56
cultla
woRLD
Am Em grgil
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffim,
basic stnrm patteras:
tt n)
Dsus4
Acousrtc
Elsu4 Cmaig G6add9 Bm(a)
l've been wonderin'why it's only me E7sus4 Cmaig G6!dd9 Bm(4) waitin'to breathe Have you always been inside Bm(4) Gtuddg Cmrig E7sus4 sunlight on my lace It's al! right E7sus4 Cmai9 Gfuddg I
wake up and yeah l'm alive'cause
(chorus)
Dsug4 D I
C5 was so alraid
c5
Am o[ goin' under
c5
Em
Butnowtheweightoltheworld
leels like nothing
No
Em
Dsug4 C5
Em
Dsus4
(Down down
down)
(Down down
down)
lwanted Dsus4 C5 Em (Down down down) You're all lwanted You're all
Enl C5 G5 (Ah)
Enl C5 G5 (Ah)
And I won't
Dsug4
nothin'
C5
You're all I needed now
D
You're all I needed
D
Dsug4
D
Dsug4
forget the way you loved me
D Dsuc4 Enl C5 G5 (Ah) All that I wanted Enl D C5 All that I needed now
Oh
(chorus)
EmDC5 (Down down down) Yeah heldontoyou
Em
D
C5
CmaiT
(Down down down) Yeah heldontoyou
cocyrhhro2qxEMTAPRTLMUSIC
lNC" RIHOe INC.,CHRYS LISMUSIC,PL YIN',HOOKY MUS|C.id LITTIE MINX MUSIC.
AllRldrthrR|HOElNC.Cotrelld.ndMmrnr.r.rdhrEMlAPR|LMUS|ClNC. AIRrrn.tu.PLAYIN'HooKYMUS|CrndLm[EM|NXMUS|CCotolhdrndMnlnirlcrodhCHRYSAL|SMUSIC.
Itn,rt'r.n r-.d.tnt.aiorlCorrdghsrcurod.Urcd!vhdi.lon.R.r.int
dl,P.rdisloiolH.lLeErdcorPdtlon.
curr
r worLD
^cousTIc
t7
{rrcurrnnJ
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Creedence Clearwater Revival As heard on the Fantasy recording Cosmo's Factory
basicstrumpat'iem:
tl, fTT
nvnvnvnv
. ly.;o;rn Fogerty
fTT'[
T = fr::#"
--
DG
DEm
Long as I
remember
the rain been comin'down
GCG Clouds ol mystery pourin'conlusion
on the
ground
chorus:
CG
c
Good nen through the ages
trytn'
CD
Em
Andlwonder
stilllwonder
who'll
G
tolind
the sun
G stop
therain
G
seekn'shelterfrom thestorm
lwent down Virginia
CG
GBm Caught up
in
lwatched the towergrow
the{able
chorus:
c
G
Five-year plans
andNewDeals
CG wrapped in golden chains
c
D
EmG
Andlwonder
stilllwonder
who'll stop
c
D
Am
G
therain
c
Em
DG
G Heard the singers playin'
Howwecheered lor more
GBm
CG
The crowd had rushed
together
tryin'
to
keep
warm
chorus:
c Still
G therain
kept pourin'
c
G
my
lallin'
c
D
Em
Andlwonder
stilllwonder
who'll
G
DEm
stop
D
ears
therain
(3xandfadeout)
Copyright @ 1970 Jondora Music. All Rights R*crvcd. Uscd by Permiscion.
currA[. wo&LD ecousrlc 59
PE R FO R MAN
CE N OT E S How to play this issue's sonss
LED ZEPPELI N ..Friends'' What
the acoustic guitar part in this song so appealing, besides the cool tuning and exotic chords, is the lively strum pattern and grooving rhythmic feel. Employing eighth-note pendulum strumming throughout-downsuokes on the downbeats, upstrokes on the upbeats-guimal
with
a flowing swing (triplet-based) feel and accents certain
taristJimmy
downstrokes, allowing your pick to "ftlI" onto the next string, works best. Then try switching to upstrokes as you change direction and move from higher to lower strings.
Pe*n -Jeff
RYAN CABRERA "On the Way Downtt
keeps the part from sounding too drone-y
To more easily maneuver through the intricate chord progression in this song's intro and verse sections (Gr. r pafi), take note ofany fingerings shared by adjacent chords. The quicke$ way to discover these common tones is to first study the chord frames illustrated at the beginning of the transcription. See how you can easily move from the F+m7(no 3) [Bm7(no 3)] to the fol-
and monotonous.
lowing Dmajg [Gmajg] chord
Page plays
strums by hitting them noticeably harder than others. These accents (indicated by horizontal wedges over the ublaturQ make the acoustic guitar part more interesting by
within a rhythm and a sense of dynamics (volume contrasts) that creating a rhythm
Although some of the chords in this song have unusual names, afl ate fairly easy to fret, requiring, with one exception, just two fingers to play. Most of them are built from strummed octave shapes on the fifth and third strings, with open strings included. When plaFng the little break riffin bars r4-ry,be sure to mute all strings except the open
low C with the fingers of your freming
hand as you strum the bottom four. Simply loosen your grrp on the strings without letting go of them. The same applies to bars 53-56 and 6+-66.
-li*ryBrown
R,E.M.'rEvetybody Hurtstt The dreamy, sad-sounding quality of "Everybody Hurts" is largely a product of the slow, lamenting pulse of the song's rzl8 meter. Those of you unfamiliar with this time signature may find it helpful to rhink of the note groupings as similar to triplets in 4l4time at a slow tempo. Unlike 4/4,how' ever, where the pulse is defrned by quarter notes, rzl8 meter is derived from a steady march of eighth-note rhythms. To keep track of your place within the many beats of each measure, try placing a slight accent on the sart of each three-note group as you count; 'ONE two three, FOUR five six, SEV'eight nine, TEN'lev twelve." When planng through the song's arpeg' giated chord progression, choose a pick ing pattern that's most comfortable to you and stick to it. Consistency is the key to reproducing the song's steady yet relaxedsounding rhythms. If you are unsure of how to pick through the chords, use whatever combination of downstrokes and upstrokes feels most natural and economical. When moving from a lower string to a higher one, youll often find that using consecutive 60 GUITAR woRLD ACoUSTIC
(see measure r) by simply adding the middle finger to the sirh string. Similarly, shifting from AaddO/g
[Daddo(] to Eaddo/G# [Aadd6/C+] requires only that you lower the note on the ffih string a half step by replacing the pinkie with your middle finger. Also notice how you can keep your index finger planted at the second fret throughout the entire chord progression. Learning to take advantage of such common tones will not only make it easier for you to memorize the song's chord progression, but will allow for a more e{Ecient playing technique. And by economizing your fret-hand movement as much as possible, you'll be able to play through the chord progression with more relaxed, natural sounding rhythms. -JeffPerrin
WILLIE BROWN "Future Bluestt
This Mississippi Delta country blues gem, recorded, along with "M&O Blues," in r93o, is played fingersryle in open G tuning. Note the strongly accented descending bass line, played with the thumb, which snaps the string away from the fretboard. One of the things that contributes to the hauntingly beautiful quality of Browns performance of this song is the quirky rhythmic feel and shifting pulse; note the extra half beat added afterbar 4. Brown and many of his pre-war country blues contemporaries often took liberties with rhythm in this manner, allowing the number of beats and bars to be dictated by the vocal melody rather than adhering to the standard n-bar format. Use a single downstroke of the thumb to play the r6th note at the end of bar u and the quarter note that immediately follows on the downbeat of bar rz, employing
a quick,
rolling motion. This same move is
repeated two beats later.
-JimmlBrown
WILLIE BROWN rrM&O Bluestt This song is performed fingerstyle in standard tuning. Notice the way Brown builds much of his accompaniment around the open low E note, allowing it to ring at times as he plays double-stop licks on the B and high E strings, implying an E major tonality. To play the approximately half-step bends of the G note at the eighth fret on the B string, push the string away from the palm with the middle finger. Brown bases the rest of his accompaniment on the first-position chord shapes illustrated at the beginning of the transcription, taking a sparse approach and selecdvely picking out notes that serve his melodic, harmonic and rhythmic purposes. -JimryBrwn
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
'rwho'll Stop the Rain"
As indicated, the chords shown in the tablature for the part labeled Guitars r and z (the main acoustic guitar part) are to be played with down-up eighth-note strums, with the lower strings played on the downbeats and the upper strings caught on the upbeats ('bne-and two-and three-and fourand"). Guitarist John Fogerry briefly interrupts this pattern with accented D chords, played as quarter notes on beat four ofcertain measures, namely bars z, 4,4,33and 35; in these instances the full chord should be strummed with a downstroke and quickly muted with the fingers of the fretting hand. (Simply loosen your grips on the strings.) Another exception to this down-up eighth-note strum pattern occurs in bars z4-27, where Guitars r and z, sounding every note of each chord, strum a combination of eighth notes and quarter notes w-ith consecutive downstrokes, as indicated below the tablature.
A similar kind of double-dme movement of the strumming hand occurs in the first four bars of the third verse, in the part labeled PJryhmFillz.ln this case, an overdubbed acoustic gaitar (Gtr. a) employs a technique known as r6th-note pendulum strumming to play "gallop" rhythms comprised of combinations of eighth notes and r6th notes. Use the strumming prompts above the first measure of this part as a guide to playing the two bars that follow. -JimmyBrown
NOTATION GUIDE 'tablature clef quarter notes (held for one beat each)
hall notes (held lor two beats each)
let ring
DA
-----
----------a
E
I 2 3
4 5 6
*String@ i" the thinnest string,@ ;, the thickest. Number{on the lines indicate freti(0 = open strings). eighth notes
A
G/B
'1
count
quarter rest
dotted half note (held for three beats)
C
and
and 3
2
eighth eighth 16th
4
and
4',
dotted quarter note
16th rest
rest note notes
and
half rest
2-2-2-2-2-+2-2-2-2
count:
"1 and 2
ee and uh
dotted quarter note
3
-2
uh
ee and
4
and
and
and
and
and
uh
'tied rhythms
G
hammer-on
legato slide
.0-3
and 3 *Don't
and
and 4
and
4n
1
rearticulate notes in parentheses.
grace-note
bend and release in time
(whole-step tull
count:
"1
and
*natural
2
bend)
bend tuil
vibrato
4' count: "1
and
.pinch
harmonics
2
harmonic
(note fretted) N.H.
P.H.-
*larryqryic sgun(ed oy ptcKrng rutrut.
*Lightly touch string directly
-pre-bend
grace-note
and release ("reverse bend')
slide
tull
3 and4 and 1 palm muting (picking hand) E5 P.M.________
L-l
overfret, then pick. staccato (short) notes
trill (quick succession of hammer-ons and
pull-otfs)
ffi
tremolo picking
tulr
2
34
4
*Bend string before picking.
fret-hand muting G5
Loosen gip on strings so that they no longer touch the fretboard. sweep picking ("raking")
*n
V
-=-=*n
33
=downstroke Y =upstroke GU
ITAR WORLD ,{COUSIIC 61
FRIENDS Led Zeppelin As heard on the Atlantic recording Led Zeppelin lll By Jimmy Page and Robert PIant . Transcribed by Paul Pappas
Acous. Gtr. in open C6 tuning (low to high: C A C G C E).
c
123
C(b2)
cx
cs
Eb6
t4
2
CmajT
ffiffi
@
Intro
1o:oo1
Moderately Fast
J
-
164(
Il
c6
'ffi,r-'ffir. ffirzt
o-ffio+r. o-ffit+r, t4
c($4)
c(2)
c(b3)
'ffi'.
"ffi'.
c(4)
"ffi'"
t4
. :ui:
14
t4
t4
14
14
-sr =J
)l
*c
Acous Gtr. .F
.1
*approx. 9 sec. of talking and misc. noises Eb6
-0-0 -3-0 p+p= -3-0 @
to'*l
N.C,
-x-x -x-x-8 -x-x-x -x-x -x-x-6 -x-x -0-0-0 -0-0 t-J
t-x-x -x-x-12 -x-x-x-x-x -x-x-10 l-J l-J -x-x t-J -0-0-0-0-0
-x-x-x-10 -x-x-x-xI l-J I -x-x-8-xl-J -0-0-0-0@ V"rro
(o:51,1:52)
t. Bdght llght
z. ilet
a
rnar
almost
m he rcadside
6x
c
Bhck
Uindin'
Wthout
cryin'
c(il4)
Copyrisht @ 1970, 1991 Superhypc Publishins, lnc. All Rights Administcred by WB MUSIC CORP' All Riehts Reservcd. Used by Permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S. lNC., MlAMl, FL 33014.
62 curran woRLD
Acousrtc
a
night ftio'lld
still therc tlrcte'sm denytn'
shinin'
gx
FRIENDS Led Zeppelin
I cant stop
You'rcincompleb
lcep thele'll
ql
bem
climbin' findln' gVll
Had
So
a
filend
she
anydme
onoe
sonebody
told neds
goneand left
Somedayyor'llneeGa
lre
rE
'Yon got
you
lsrcn,
Dont
a
let 'em
love dourn
Yotr ain't alfiough it
c(il4)
only
lookin'
someone like they
lmew
c($4)
gx
Itlov, she's
hfiat I br what you for
looldn' looldn'
do
lookin'
lonely" couldease
you
6x
br s'hat I br s'hat you
lspw lmew
c(*4)
c(b2)
(Att
dr
(Ah
dr
6x
gx
ah) ah)
cvl
-0 -0 -0 -0 -0
l-t
LJ
cUITAR tvoRLD
t_J ecousrrc 63
FRIENDS Led Zeppelin
l5l cno-,
(1:37, 2:38)
itn
I'm
c
-x-x -x-x-10 -x-x-x-x-x -x-x-8-x-x l-J l-J t-J -0-0-0-0-o
he
-o-2-o -0-2-0 -0-0-0 -0-0-0
-0-0 -0-0 -0-0 -3-0 -0-0
-x-x-12 -x-x-10 r-J t-J l-J -0-0-0-
grcatsst
-3-3-3
can
thing
-2 -2 -0 -0 -3
-0 -0 -0 -0 -3
is
fade
a
smih
wi[r
It's very
uvtro's blue
someone
2-O -0-2-0 0-0 0-0 3-3-3-3-3
do
easy
iuste-.
-0-0-0 -0 -3
*(Aw
(tsttime) go backtoverse
yeah)
.7-X-X-10 .x-x-x-x-x-x -X-X .5-X-X-8-X-X .0-0-0-0-0-0
t-J
t-J
t-J
*sung 2nd time only
@
O,rtoo
1r,u,1
lrly
,
A -o
I
W c(21
gradually increase tempo until end
gx
64 cu lren- woRLD AcousrIC
my
My
rry
rry
@
FRIENDS Led Zeppelin
my
my
c6
r-0_ F-ol-14
l--xr0_ -12 I
yeah gVll
gx
c(#4)
6x
tellin'
you
c(2)
the grcatest
thing
,
,
you
ever
,
,
can
trade
do
,
a
,
It's
very
It's
very
,
,
,
It's
easy
95
easy
with someone
smile
very
ttt
It's
easy
easy
96
,
100
,,
,
,
,,
,
,
,,,,,
,
easy
,
,,
,
,,,
,
,,
,
Yeah
104
,
,
yeah
,
,
w/synth.
6,
//
currAR woRLD ecousrrc 65
EVERYBODY HURTS R.E.M. As heard on the Warner Brothers recording A utomatic for the People . By William Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Michael Mills Transcribed by Jell Perrin
Gs/Ff Em
D
G5
ir+H r32
+ffi
rfi+Ij
34
G
Bm
A
t342tl
13421
frtro (o:00,1:oe)
I
Moderately Slow
).=62
(L) uh
(x) Sometimes everything
D
G5
D
vlong
is
Gtr. I (clean elec.) let ring throughout
-3
tr Verses1.
(0:15, 1:24, 2:56)
ttlhen your daY is long z lWhenyourdaYis night alone (Hold |
l,lor if s time to sing along
s. lf You'rc
m
on)
Your orvn
and
the nlght
in
(Hold this lib
3
-0
-0
is yours alone fte! like letting go (Hold
YUhen
he night lf you
on)
you
[rink you'vehadtm
vuhen
yol
hink you'vehadtoo
on)
the days and nights arc long
you'rc surc you'vehadenagh
lf
-3
much
10
wellhang on well tlang on
of this lib of this lib of this lile
mudt
to
Gs
hang
G5/Ffl
2
-2 -3 CORP. Copyrighr O 1992 NtcHT GARDEN MUSIC. All Riehts Administered by WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING Allitisit' Rc.erved. Used by Permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S. INC', MlAMl, FL 33014.
66 curren woRLD
m
Acousrlc
-0-0
EVERYBODY HURTS R.E.M. @
Cno",rs
(0:46, 1:55,3:26)
let
(1.) Don't yoursell (2.) 'Causeeverybody (3.) Well everybody
go
huils hufts
Uh sometimes
A
* repeat previous chord
qies
'cause everybody
your fiiends
Take comfort everybody
cdes
* repeat previous chord
(2nd time) skip ahead to
(rst time)
@
go
backto intro@
(3rd time) skip ahead and everybody Everybody Everybody
hurts
@
t'''o)
n@
sometimes hurts
huils A
A
cu rrAR woRLD,tcousttc 67
EVERYBODY HURTS R.E.M. (L) Don't ttrcuY (3.) Don't
your
otr
hand
(2.) no
your
ttrcw
hand (play 3 times)
F* 20 ctr. t
Gtr.3 (elec. w/dist.)
lf
yu
ftd
you'rc alone
like
yor
arcnot
gobacktoverse
alone
@
G/B
@t''u't
@rt'orl some
But
times
hutu
everybody
So hold
somelimes 25 Gtr.I 3
-2 -0 play 9 times andtade
@
Outro
1l:oo1
(1.2J.) m (4.) m
hold
ql
hdd
olt
Hold
huils**
EveqpoOy
D5
* omit chordfirst two
68
culun
woRLD
Acousrlc
times
*+w/ad lib vocal until end
ON THE WAY DOWN RyanCabrera As heard on the Atlantic recording Take lt All Away Words and Music by Ryan Cabrera, Curt Frasca and Sabelle Breer
. Transcribed by Jell Perrin
All guitars are tuned down one half step (low to high: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb). All notes and chords sound one half step lower than written (key of F minor).
chord shapes for Gtr. 1 (acous., capo seventh fret)
m F$m(add4) [Bml [Bm(adda)] , Ff
Bm
lEmI
ffiffiffi
o
ooo
chord shapes for Gtrs. 2 and 3 (no capo) F#5
D5 AXX aaTlTt
-4r
ffi lfllntro
ffi
Ff5tx
E5
ffi'"
5h
FI#+I
AXX
..TtrD
t+l*+l
9fr
I134
B5
DmajT
ffi'*
ffi
t+t++t
(o:oo)
Moderately .l = tOO Fil7(nos)
Dmaj9
A6add9
Cf m7(a)
[87(no3)]
lGmajel
lD6add9l
tFflm7(4)I
Gtr. I (acous., capo 7) Rhy. Fig.
1
I
,
,,,
-
'.----7----77
q---T---------7 EEEA'
J
*repeat previous chord
F$7(no3)
Dmaj9
A6add9
Cf m7(4)
IB7(no3)]
lGmaj9l
lD6add9I
lFflm7(a)I
P'M'-.
end Rhy. Fig.
I
copyrighr @ 2004 EMIAPRIL MUSIC lNC., RTHOB lNC., CHRYSALTS MUStC, PLAYTN',HOOKY MUSIC and LITTLE MtNX MUSIC. All Rishts lor RIHOB lNC. Controlled and Administered by EMI APRIL MUSIC lNC. All Riehts lor PLAYIN' HOOKY MUSIC and LITTLE MINX MUSIC Controllcd and Administered by CHRYSALIS MUSIC. All Rights Rescrved. lnternationalCopyright Secured. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission ol Hal Leonard Corporation.
currAR woRLD ecousrlc 69
ON THE WAY DOWN RYan Cabrera @V"t.o (o:10,1:oo) 1. { Sicf anO tiredof this I waitin' 2.
( I've been
I
wondeiln'
It's all ilght
Dmajg
IB7(no3)]
[Gmaje]
Gtr.
1
I
plays Rhy. Fig.
dlrection
No
it's
why sunlight
F$7(no3)
Trippin'over
air
There's no
world suffocatin'
! wake
face
my
Goin'
A6add9
cfrm7(a)
F#7(no3)
[D6add9]
lFilm7(a)l
lB7(no3)I
|
nowhere
I
waitin'
Have you always been inside
me
only
0n
llmysetl
up and
to brcathe
yeah
Dmajg A6add9
C$m7(4)
lGmajel [D6adde]
[Ff m7(a)]
twice simile (see meas. 1)
Gtr. 2 (elec. w/dist.)
P.M.---,
P.M'----.
P.M.---,
1
1111111
@ frt and 2nd Choruses
-
(o:30,1:21)
theway down D5 FfmT [G5] [Bm7]
took a dive !'m alive
on
A6 lD6l
Gtr.4 plays Fill Gtrs.2 and 3 substitute Rhy. Fill
I
on secondverse Rhy. Fig.2
I
.11 11 .11
and you saved
saw you
I
E tAl
A5 lD5I
me lrom
mYsell
Esus4 [Asus4]
eight times (see below)
----------
let ring throughout
Ff5 Rhy. Fis.3 *Gtrs. 2 and 3 (elec. w/dist.)
*composite arrange me nt
x-xx-xx-x-
x-x-x-x x-x-x-x x-x-x-x
and
I
LJI almost
down
won't forget the way you loved me And on theway
Fil5
A5
D5
Gtr. I plays Rhy. Fig.2 nvice simile (see meas. l0) 12
Gtrs. 2 and 3 (repeat previous two measures)
x-xx-xx-x-
Rhy.
Fill
I
(0:30,1:21)
Fill
I
(1:18)
A5
N.C.
Gtr. 4 (elec. w/dist.)
Tz-e-
io
-e-ro -e-
70 cultc.R. woRLD ACousrlc
10
-I--'!
0
.olllalr
12-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X i-)Yrt10-
lell E5
ilght
through
ON THE WAY DOWN Ryan Cabrera (2nd time) skip ahead to bridge@
but
to
held
I
Fflm7
E
D5
lBm4
tAl
lGsl
Es
Ds
you
Gtr. I Rhy. Fis.4
16
F$5
tx
Gtrs. 2 and 3
Rhy.
Fig.3-----11 11
1 1
@]
9 9 >-
-9 -9 -7 -7
7 7
--
to,sol
7no3 [87(noo)]
Dmaj9
Ff
Gtr. I plays Rhy. Fig.
I
A6add9
go back to verse@
C$m7(4)
[Gmajs]
tFflm7(4)l
[D6adde] simile (see meas. l)
Ctr.2
1g P.M.---,
11 11 11 11
E
Bridge
(1:40)
of
so aflaid
!
goin'
under
under)
Esus4
E
[Asus4] Gtr. I
tAI
E5 Gtrs. 2 and 3
but
now
the
weight ol
the world
F$m lBml
feels
like
E
tAI
I x-x -x-rEx_x -x I x-x -x
*=x-I--7-r*-* x+x-x--+x-x
7-7
currAR woRLD ecoustrc
71
ON THE WAY DOWN Ryan Cabrera
@
nothin'
No
nothing D5
Esus4
lG5l
[Asus4] [A]
Breakdown
(2:oo)
(Down
^._ 1
You'r€ all
down)
down
F$m(adda)
D5
[Bm(add4)]
IG5]
I
E
wanted
3-(3) -3
fl[;2
r$srx
(Down down
down)
You're
al!
needed
I
(Down down
You're
down)
Ff m(add4)
D5
Film(add4)
E
lBm(adda)I
lG5I
lBm(add4)I
tAl
/-\
wanted
you're
all
I
needed
Esus4
E
[Asus4]
IA]
?
x-x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x-x Gtr.4
72
cutur
woRLD
Acousrlc
ON THE WAY DOWN Ryan Cabrera @fra Chorus (1.) (Ah) (2.) on
the
(2:21)
way
FfmT
I
down
D5
and
you saved me fiom mysell
E Esus4 tAI [Asus4]
A5
lBmTl tcsl
And I won't forget the way you loved me and I won't lorget the way you loved me And
(ah)
saw you
tDsl
F$m7
D5
[Bm7]
tGsl
A5 tDsl
E IAI
Esus4 [Asus4]
Gtrs. I plays Rhy. Fig.2 three times (see meas. r0) Gtrs. 2 and 3 play Rhy. Fig. 3 (see meas.I0)
10-9-10-9-10
(Ah) on
10-9-10-9-10-9-10
All that I wanted lell almost
theway down
All through
right
9-10-9-10-9-10
that
I needed
now
but Gtr. I plays Rhy. Fig.4
0h
held on
I
to
you
(see meas. 16)
Gtr. 4 fades 2nd time
El-loutro
(s:or)
(Down
down
down)
you
Held
Yeah
Ffm
ra
lBmI Gtr. I
(Down down
F#m lBml
F$5
Yeah
down)
Held
you
E
tAl
tx
*hold chordfor eight measures andfade out
cUITAR WORLD .rrCOUSllC 73
FUTU RE BLUES
WilIie Brown
As heard on the Yazoo recording Masters of the Delta Blues:The Friends of Charlie Patton By Willie Brown . Transcribed by Jell Perrin
Acous. Gtr. in open G tuning (low to high: D G D G B D). NOTE: On the recording, all pitches sound approximately one quarter-step higher than written. To play along, tune all strings slightly sharp.
El
Intro
(o:oo1
I
Moderately J =
B
I
V".r".
lt
(0:03, o:33, (
(2.\ (3.) (4.)
(s.) (6.)
1
:03,
1
:32,
2:N,2:29)
I st verse begins at
bar 7 )
seems like love woman I woman I got a picture you see that for Texas minutes
hours n0w n0w n0w
and
she's Lordie Lordie
now and
*G fingerstyle let ing throughout w/light palm muting on bass strings throughout
*Chord symbol reflects overall tonality.
(2.) (3.) (4.) (5.) (6.)
seems hours feet lrom the live when lightnin' up on your mother's lor Tennessee T
74 cu Iten wo RLD ACousrlc
like
days
ground she
when
lightnin
up
0n
yourmother's
she
it's
FUTURE BLUES
Willie Brown (2.) (3.)
I smiles I I shell (6.) And
(4.) lightnin' (5.) mothe/s
(r.)
I
(2.) hours (3.) five
(4.) lightnin' (5.) up on (6.) T
1. minutes
Yeah the
tell my future like hours Lordi now got a woman now and now that picturc Lord Texas
Can't seems love
says says
woman
know
you
see
it's
T
lor
I've
honey
she
it's
can't tell my past seems like days feet lrom the ground when she smiles
your
lor
mother's
shelf
Tennessee
it seems like seems like And she's tailor feet and Five (5.) 0h you know (6.) Lord bless that (1.) (2.) (3.) (4.)
Lord
An' it
my made
by
every minute woman oughta and lour inches thal
I'm getlin'
and
tired
she's ot
that
woman D7
U4
(1.) sure (2.) stop (3.) aln't (4.) iust
(5.) sleepin' (6.) put
gonna her no good
be
low
hand
-
huggin' by
that
y4
(6th time) skip ahead to meas.
l5
0 3
2-1 lll.-s.
gobackrogll6'
2. The 3. Lord 4. Lord 5. 0h I 6. And it's
the and
know T
currAR woRr.D .q.cousrtc 75
M
&O BLUESWillieBrown
As hea rd By
on
the Yazoo record
i
n
g M asters of the D elta Bl ues: The F riend s of Cha rlie Patton
Willie Brown . Transcribed by Je{l Perrin
lA I
v..... (o:ol o:37, leave here !'m gonna 1. ! (2.\ ! had anotion (3.) all o' you men (4.) kill my woman I :1
,
(5.)
1, I :46, 2:21)
asked her "How
'bout it'
catch
Lord
'cause
that
and oughta be laid and
she
Lord
M&0 wil! I believe ! 'shame of youlsell down 'cross youl she said "All
bed
right"
N.c.(E) (play repeats w/ad lib variation) Acous. Gtr.
*U2
y2
y2
fingerstyle let ring throughout
*All half-step bends are played slightly Jlat (not quite a half
step).
(1.) Now (2.) 'cause (3.) and (4.) l (s.) And
(1.) I leave here (2.) I hadanotion (3.) all o'you men (4.) kil! my woman (5.) asked her"How 'bout
catch Lord oughta
ir
'cause
she
M&0
that
and
I
be
down
!aid
Lord
and
believe
76
curten woRLD ACousrtc
U2
it's
tried
to
I
will
'shame ol yourself
'cross the she said "All
N.C.(A7) U2
I
when
U2
bed
right"
M & O BLUES
Willie Brown (1.) (2.)
goin' gonna
I'm I'm
(4.) And (5.) But
she she
l--
h 1
t2
(1.) way down South where (2.) build mansion (3.) Goin' 'lound hele swearin' (4.) (5.) never showed up
me a so ambitious
I
ti!
never
ain't
'fore God and
got
out
been
belore
on Decatur Hill poor woman by yourself
a
took
I
backeverything
at the
(E)
N.c,(B)
looked
U2
y4
shack
said night
I
last
u2
2. 3. 4.
'Cause
Now I
it's stail
5. And I
N.C.(E)
7
81(8)
87
E
rit. I
I
GUTTAR
woRLD ,c,cousttc 77
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Creedence Clearwater Revival As heard on the Fantasy recording Cosmo's Factory By John Fogerty . Transcribed bv Jef{ Perrin
GD tt342t
32
lfl
Intro
1o:ooy
ModerateRock J =122 Em
G
Gtr. 4 plays Fill
* Gtrs. I
I
six times (see below)
and 2 (acous.)
**-
* Gtr.
I
V
n
V
sim.
doubled simile throughout by Gtr. 3 (clean elec.)
**
Use down-up strumming for thc eighth-note rhythms, hitting the lower stings on the downbeats and the upper strings on the upbeals.
G
Gtr. 5 plays
@ V"..., 1.
2. 3.
Fill2
(see below)
(
(o:12, 0:45, 1:29)
Long as
I
Head $e
down singers
I uent
he raln lloil
rcmember Virginia playin'
seekin' shelter c
G
been comin'
f]qn
ute cheercd
down
the storm
for
morc
The G
Gtr.
Fil/
/
(0:00,2:00)
Fill2
(0:061
Gtr. 5 (clean elec.)
Gtr. 4 (acous.)
G t--
Rhy.
Fill2
Gtr.4
Copyright
78
@
repeat previous measure )
(1:291
t
n n Vn n VnVn VnVnV
1970 Jondora Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Pcrmission.
curran woRLD Acousrrc
5
plays Fill
Fill T (1:351 Gtr. 5
7 on 3rd verse (see below)
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Creedence Clearwater Revival conlusion m Clonds of mysbry Pourin' I watched the toYuer he fable Caught rp in tyin' to lushed together crouud had
Ule
ground
keep
watm
9]OW
c Gtrs.
11
@ Cto"*
nren Fiveyear
hrcugh
the
er
Phns
and t{ew poudn'
Still
and2 subsrttute Rhy. Fill I on2nd and 3rdverses
the
raln
b
tryin'
ages
vlrapped in
Deals
kept
fallln'
l
the stn
ftnd golden
chains eats
mrry
c
c Gtr.
5
plays Fill 9 on 3rd verse
(3rd time) skip ahead to
And
Gtr. 5 plays Fill 5 on 2nd verse (see below) Gtr. 5 plays Fill 8 on 3rd verse (see below)
(see below)
(o:27,1:oo, l:45)
rr.r Good rs.l
I
tJ
still
woldel
I
c
I
G
Gtr. 4 plays Fill 3 on lst verse (see below) Gtr. 5 plays Fill 5 on 2nd verse (see below)
(see below)
(
@ wlro'll
wondel
stop
@
the rain G
Em
D
I st time) go back to verse
Gtr. 5 plays Fill 4 on lst chorus (see below) Gtr. 5 plays Fill 6 on 2nd chorus (see next page)
Filt 3 Gtr.5
Fill4
(0:3ii)
(0:411
Gtr.5
-----l
letring .U,-v .,
A^
A 4i
Rhy.
Fill
Gtrs.
I
Fill S Gtr. 5
/
/;\
(0:54, 1:39)
and 2
letring
-----l
(1:43)
G
let ring
./-\
-
-1
cUITAR wORLD ,C,COUSIIC 79
WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Creedence Clearwater Revival [il]
Interlude
(1:18)
CGD
AmC
Em
let ring
let
ring
let
ring-
D
r
?
-2-2-2-2-2-2-O -3-3-3-3-3-3-0
.0 , 0-0 .2+O '3-+2
Ptt-P
*Gtr.
letring
3
-----.1
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
---
-.r
-2-2-2-2-2-O
*all downstrokes until meas. 28
G go back to
29 Gtrs. 1,2 and 3
verse@
,-3 l--0 l-0 l-o j-2 r3
@t,'url
EIouoo stop the rain
whol! Em Gtrs.
rz'oot
G
l,
2 and3
Gtr. 4 plays Fill
-
I
until fade (see first page)
play 3 times andfade D
Fill6
(1:14)
Gtr. 5 (clean elec.)
G
8O cu ITAR woRLD
Acousrrc
let
ring-
1
ROCK OUARRY withWarren Huynes
and e RealThing." HIS ISSUE we'll take a look at my solo acoustic rendition of "The Real Thing," fromLiueAtBonaroo. Though I wrote the song way back in the late Eighties, it ended up lying dormant until I recorded a version, in zooz, for the Phil Lesh and Friends album, 'Ilwre and Bach Again [Sony]
.
I
use a combination of fingerpicking and strumming to play "The Real Thing." I learned to fingerpick when I was about t4 years old, when I often snuck into clubs
shown in FIGURE 3. Changing my approach this way, I believe, adds some character to the accompaniment, and prevents it from becomm8 monotonous. Regarding the lyrics to "The Real Thing": The character in the song is a composite; it's not about any one specific person, and as is the case with many of my songs, the story itself is a combination of real and imagined events. Just what the "real thing" is varies
throughout the song. In the first verse, it refers to the character, himself, and how talented and charismatic he appears to others. In the second verse, the "real thing" is the love this character feels for a woman, a love that conflicts with something he knows he has to do. Finally, in the third verse, the "real thing" is life itself-how important it is when someone knows he is about to die. r
in North Carolina to see folk
singers and singer-songwriters. Many of those artists used a simplified version of "Ti.avis picking," the
fingersryle technique made by famous by country guitarist Merle Tiavis. Though Tiavis used only his index finger and thumb when picking, most of the performers I saw also used the middle or middle
FIGURE
1 Travis picking t=thumb
A.orr. Gt fingerstyle
.
?)
i=indexfinger b)
m=middlefinger
c m
t
and ringfingers when playrng. FIGURE1 shows
three di{ferent ways to Tfavis pick, illustrating the basic technique and a few simple varia' tions. In F|GUREla, the picking pattern begins with the thumb ("t")and middle finger ("m") simultaneously picking the outer fretted notes of a first-position C major chord, sounding two C notes an octave aparl The thumb then
FIGURE
2 "The Real Thing" verse
.l =tO Acous Gtr.
strum
Afr
G5
w/thumb
picks the D string, followed by the index finger ("i") picking the G string. As the basic pattern repeats, the thumb alternates between the fifth and fourth strings as the index and middle fingers remain assigned to the third and second srings. FIGUREIb is a diflerent pattern in which both the thumb and middle finger alternate string assignments. It begins with the middle finger picking the open high f string while the thumb picks the A string; on beat two, the middle finger moves over to the B string. Notice also the additional note at the end of the bar, played with the index finger. FTGURE lc shows another alternating bass pattern. The thumb first picls a C root note on beat one, then moves down one string to sound the low {i[th, G, on beat two.
FIGURE
3 chorus
(t:to)
Dm strum w/fingers
FTGURE 2 depicts the verse section of "The Real Thing." I utilize Tiavis picking through the first four bars but dont stick to any specific
pattern. At the end of bar r I strum a full Am chord; on the second ending, I switch from fingerpicking to strumming with my fingers, which sets up the shift to the chorus section, 82 curran woRLD ACousrrc
r
()
)=
U
THE REAL THING Written by Warren Haynes and Danny Louis Copyright O 2OO2 BUZZARD ROCK MUSIC (BMl)/ Administered by BUG All Rights Reserved Used by Permission
z z o
THE
JA
ZZ BOX with Frank Vignola
Different
D ownstrokes
:
"Begin the Beguine," the solo AST TIME, I showed you the supponive guitar parts I play on the version of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" featured on my latest CD, The Frank andJoe Show: "jjrl3." This month, I'd like to present part of the single-note solo with which I conclude the tune. The solo (rlcunr 1) is played over a C-Bb chord vamp, which may be approached as being one big C7 chord. Some melodic choices that work well here are the C minor blues scale (C Eb F Gb G Bb), the C Mixolydian mode (C D E F G A Bb) and the Gypsy-sounding C7b9 scale (C Db E F G Ab Bb), which is the same as the F harmonic minor scale (F G Ab Bb C Db E). The C hal{:whole diminished scale (C Db D* E F+ G A Bb) is also cool here, as it contains hip alterations of a C7 chord, namely the flat-nine (Db), sharp-nine (D*) and sharp-four, or flat-five, (F+/Gb). Here's a good exercise: take any of these scales and play it in as many diflerent positions as possible. You can probably {ind at least zo di{Ierent ways to finger any given scale. You
you want a cool move to sound more like
FIGURE
you're strumming with a pick or your thumb, or, alternatively, picking the two strings at the same time, try to make sure both notes of each octave are played at the same volume. One final note:just as too many quoted melodies can tarnish a solo, so can an overdose of strummed ocEves. "Everything in moderation' is as true in jazz as it is in every other aspect of life. r Chech out www.
1 "Begin the Beguine" solo excerpl Bb
(1
1) -1
1
1
-(11)
-1
get to know your fretboard
better even as you familiarize yourself with the way these scales sound. When picking single-note solos of the sort illustrated here, I tend to use all downstrokes, as I find this lends my phrases a somewhat warmer tone. When you reach a certain speed, of course, playing consecutive downstrokes becornes impossible; you have to throw in some upstrokes. (While we're on the subject, I recently saw a video of Frank Zappa-one of my all-time favor' ite guitarists-and was blown away by his unorthodox picking style. He used nothing but upstrokesl I've been trying to emulate his approach lately, and have found that it's helped me come up with new ways of phrasing. TLy it.) If you think you hear a bit o[Duke Ellingtons great composition "Caravan' in this solo (bars z-6 of rtoune 1), you're not imagining things. It is not unusual for a jazz player to spice things up a bit by quoting a well-known melody or two in the middle of a solo. Guitarist Gene Bertoncini is a master at rhis, and I rn as thinking of him when I snuck a little bit of "Caravan'into "Begin the Beguine." One word of caution, however: do this sort of thing sparingly, unless
studywithfrank. com
Moderately
ll find that practicing this way
will help you
a
cheap trick. In the last several bars of my solo, I play some strummed ocuves. Wes Montgomery was a master of this technique (he actually learned it from the playing of Django Reinhardt), which can add lots of drama to your playing. When strumming octaves, be sure to mute the string between the two fretted notes with the underside of your fret-hand index finger. Also, whether
10)
.10-10-(10)
0)
-8-10-11
8-e-1
z--. 1
-12
-i1
-1i
1y
BEGIN THE BEGUINE Words and Musrc by COLE PORTER Copyright O 1935 (Renewed) WARNER BROS. lNC. All Rights Reserved Used by Permission Warner Bros Publications U S Inc , Miami, Florida 33014
GUTTAR
woRLD ,q.cousrrc 83
BASIC TRAINING with KeithWyatt
Suspended Animation: Incornoratinq sus4 embellishments into brokdn- chorf, accompaniment patterns N THE LAST two "Basic Tiaining" columns we looked atplaying"broken chords," i.e. picking the notes of a chord one at a time in a rhythmic pattern and
I I I
letting them ring, a very e{fecdve accompaniment technique for both acoustic and electric guitar. Over the next couple of lessons I'd like to continue examining this technique while also showing you some simple and effective ways to expand your chord vocabulary beyond major and minor triads.
The first triad variation I'm going to show you is the suspendedfounhchord (usually abbreviated to sus4). To understand the name, leCs quickly review how triads are constructed. A major triad is built from the first, third and fifth notes, or degrees, of a major scale (e.g. C major: C, E, G). A minor triad consists of the first, third and ffih notes of a minor scale (C minor: C, Eb, G). The only diflerence between the two triads is the third degree-a major triad contains amajor third, and a minor triad contains a minor third. The third is a powerful note because it determines the chord's quality, which we perceive emotionally (in simplistic terms) as happy (major) or sad (minor). In a sus4 chord, the third is replaced by the fourth (the note one step higher in the scale). Without a third, the emotional quality of the chord is held in limbo-or suspense-until the suspension resolves to the third. FIGURE 1 is a standard progression in the key of G that demonstrates how suspended fourths can be added to a broken chord pattern in 4/4 time to create harmonic variety. On beat three of everybar, the fourth of the chord (the susa) is substituted temporarily for the third, which is restored on the following beat. Be sure to employ the frethand fingerings indicated below each chord diagram.In terms of the picking hand, use your thumb to sound the bass note of each chord and assign one finger to each of the high strings. FTGURE 2 is the same progression with a triplet feel (the 6/8 time signature is 84
curran woRLD ACousrIC
interpreted as two beats per bar with a triplet on each beat). In this example, the suspended chord appears first and then resolves to a major or minor chord, so you have to finger the suspension along with the rest of the chord before removing it. The picking pattern is changed to suit the rhythm, but the same
FIGURE
fingerings apply throughout. Using suspended fourths is a simple way to add harmonic variety to a progression without resorting to complex chords; which is why they are very popular in pop, rock, folk-you name it. For a prime example of sus4 chords in action, check out the Whos "Pinball Wizard." r
1
Gsus4
G
ro oo
Frlll.l
ffi ffi 'u 'r
Acous Gtr fingersrl*le
Em
m
o
ooo
ffi 23
Esus4
c
EHfi
intri Ft+r-H
t,
or wlpick
Gsus4
r
Em lrepeat prtyioils b4t)
FIGURE 2
3:
Csus4
D
Dsus4
ffi
ffi
HIH
Em
MAKEROOM FORDADGAD with LaurenceJuber
Eric Clapton's "Layla," fingerstyle I AGAIN, everyone. This month
I'd like to share with you an excerpt from my instrumental solo acoustic guitar adaptation of Eric Clapton's classic hit, "Layla" (see FIGUREI). Clapton originally recorded the song in LgTo as an uptempo electric rocker with Derek and the Dominos (Layla and Other Assorted LoueSongs). My arrangement is performed in D A D G A D tuning, which lends itself well to "Layla" for a couple of reasons. One is that all those open D's and As are mighty useful when playing in D minor, the same key as the songs chorus section. Also beneficial is the ease with which octaves can be fingered in D A D G A D; as you recall, the song's famous guitar riff is doubled in octaves by two electric guitars. As shown at the very beginning of FIGUREI, I perform this feat on one guitar, with the notes conveniently located at the same frets on different strings, or open. The sound is similar to that of a rz-string 8ultar. Note the use of a "slap harmonii' in bar zo of FIGURE 1. To play this harmonic, rap the top three strings quickly and firmly with the fleshy side of your pick hand's index or middle finger directly above the rzth fret, with the finger positioned parallel to the fret. The harmonic structure of "Layla"is rather adventurous for a rock tune. While the song s choruses are in D minor, the verses arein E major. You'll notice that some of the chords employed in my arrangement are a bit more complex and sophisticated than their original counterparts, most of which are straight-ahead triads. For example, in bar r I play Bb0/9, as opposed to a simple Bb, while in bar 3 I substitute BbmajT for Bb. Many of the voicings I use here were inspired by the
second string away from my palm. When playing this bend, use your ring finger, adding your middle finger for support. This lick comes up again in bar r8.
My complete arrangement of "Layli' can be found in my most recent book/CD pack age, Laurence Juber : The Guitarist Anthology, Vol.
z (Warner Brothers Publications).
r
"Layla" FIGURE I intro
chorus, verse and chorus Acous. Gtr. in DADGAD tuning
BbnqT
Bb3
m''. m''. [l
(C)
G$m11
cilm
Am7
xx
TrTfn 9fr
m*'
ffi
m'*
2
2 1ttt
314
(c)
Bb3
2
334
+btrc udct finger
tot.o chorus
(c)
F$sus4
.{iHi
(Dm)
I r. BbmajT
Am7
N.C.(C)
I
Ej';(PFr-i-110.
11-e.11-11
l^ -l-l -4----1-2-4-
borre2lr.
- - - - - - - )
borre4Jr,
E5
- - L burre2lr. - - -: J
@ cnoro. N.C.(A)
N.c.(Dm) full
(c)
(Bb)
,\
DADGADtuning. You may find some of the chord shapes to be a bit tricky to form; be sure to use the fingerings indicated. The toughest one is the F+sus4 in bar rz, where you must fret both the third and fourth strings with the tip of your ring finger, a technique known as sharedfingertip fretting. You Il find that barring the index finger across the strings at the second fret, as indicated, will make this
little easier to negotiate. I start off my second pass through the
full
/)
--,lTl- r-'] r(Dm)
rc@
so batk
-(SF3-S-g-7-S-3-5
move a
chorus, beginning in bar 14, with a quick, ornamental bend that I play by pushing the
+harm (Bb)
\-it4J
l+J
l-J
I
l-:
-E:
**rr**,rruffi
l-J
I
LAYLA Words and Music by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon Copyright @ l97O by Erlc Patrick Clapton and Throat Music Ltd U S Administered by Unichappell Music lnc. lnternational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation GUTTAR woRLD ACousrrc g5
Copyright Renewed Al Rights for the
FOGERTY
(continued from pag: jz)
thing on "Whdll Stop che Rain." GWA How confident have you been
playng rhe acoustic macerial live? Does it make you nervous? FocERrY It did I did a performance on AustinCitlLimrts a while ago, and I did "Sugar-Sugar," 'T Will Walk With You'
and some other of the new songs. I kind of made fluffs in those first two songs. But whacever, that's life. I'm okay with it nowit isnt like I toss and turn all night because of it But I'll tell you, other people will say you played just fine, but what you hear are those little imperfections, and all you want to do is polish those out ofthere GWA Are you satisfied with the progress you've made on acoustic guitar? FocERTY Well, it's been a little more than ro years now and I'm not really quite there yet, but I'm pretry happy with what I can do On the other hand, if someone had rold me back then it would take this Iong, I wonder what my reaction would have been. Possibly, "Whoa, that's a long time to commit to something when you're a8. Maybe I'll be dead before I get to where I want to be." But I did resign myself early on to the idea that it'd be slow and so painful, that I'd practice three, four hours every day ar,d make mistakes all the time. You know, your psyche gets wounded doing that. I kept telling myself, there are other things you could be doing. Like flying airplanes-I used to be a pilot-or hunting for elk and deer and stuff, which I used to do every year. But I determined that what would really make me happiest as I goc to be an old person, put the smile on my face, would be to be able to play guitar the way I wanted to. cwA Aside from the flatpicking you studied, you must have also worked on your fingerpicking. Your playing on "I Will Walk With You," with its alternating bass and delicate melody reminds me of Mississippi John Hurt's style. FoGERTY Thank you. The fingerpicking is probably far behind the flatpicking, but I'm working on it. It was a thrill to be able to do that song that way. You know, "I Will Walk Wich You'which was inspired by my little daughter, sounded very di{Ierent at first. GwA Whar did ir sound like? FoGERTY It was like every bad version of "Unchained Melody" you ever heard Then I told myself, "Nol You cant do thatl" So I tabled it And then one day it just happened that I was up there practicing my guitar, doing my fingerpicking thing, when my daughter was having her bath, and I literally Iooked down at her and said, "this"-the fingerpicked lick I was playing-"is right for chat song." 86 culrAR woRLD AcousrlC
ewa Well, that allows me to seamlessly switch gears here and ask about your song-
writing-about the process that leads to a John Fogerty song FOGERTY Usually they start with me and a gtitar in my hands-in the past it was usually an electric-noodling around, trying to get a riffgoing. I have a couple in my Past I'm pretty proud of, like "Green River " I just noodle with a riffand the riff triggers a song. Even with the chord changes that became the intro to "Proud Mary," I needed the rifffirst. Of course, I have had people point out to me, 'John, you dont need the ri{I, you know. You could uke the riffaway and the song's still there, the words and the melody." But for some reason, the way my mind works-most likely because I'm a guitar player-the riff flrees up. even gives PurPose to the song.
Do the riffs inspire the lyrics? FocERrY Yes. Absolutely. And I dont really like to think of songs in terms of components. Because I grew up in a time when everything about a record was linked-one part could not be separated from another. I've always believed that four ingredients combined to make a great record: grear song, great performance, great sound and, more often than not, a great title And the title really is a big part of it. "Bad Moon GtryA
Rising" is a cool title. So is "Honky Tonk Women," "Purple Haze"-l could go on and on It just gives you a mental image What I'm trying to say is, I know I'm not just an acoustic guy in a room, a singer-songwriter, but someone trying to make arccord. GwA Regarding your point that the components of a song are linked, I've always thought that the signature chord progression that introduces and appears several times in "Proud Mary" somehow sounds Iike a riverboat as it moves through the water. FOGERTY Thank you! There you gol Absolutely, I always thought that sounded Iike that, too GwA Did that occur to you when you
wrote the progression? FOGERTY Yes.
I remember writing the
title "Proud Mary" at the top of a page in this litde notebook I had-this was before I had the ri{F-and thinking maybe it would be about a domestic worker You know, someone who gets up every morning at 5:jo' puts on a white uniform and takes the bus to the home of her employer. But then I got the riffand that vibe, and I thought, "Well, what's this about?" And then I realized I
wanted to write about a boat GwA You have an incredible vocal range Does your awareness of that come inco play when you're writing a song? tocERTY Oh sure, I write for me; I doilt thinking of somebody else, like Britney Spears I think of my own voice
sic there
without any self-consciousness. I wrote a Ioud, high song like "Fortunate Son' thinking of how I'd sound singing it GwA When you were with Creedence, it seemed like you were writing not only a song but a hit every week. How has the passage of time affecced the quality and quantity of your outPut? FocERrY The thing I'm most happy about now is that the songwriting is finally back. All the wires got screwed up, crossed and mangled in my youth, and evenBlue MoonSwamp-writing it was agony. It was like my brain was semi-dysfunctional. But with this record, the tools worked. It wasn t Iike "boom"-easy as one, two, three Let's take "Deja Vu': God didn r give me the second verse of rhat song at the first sitting. Ic took months. I had confidence; I knew there was a reason to keep working on ic. I could have just scribbled some stuff that rhymes, but I had a sense that it had co be a lot better than just some scribble GWA How did it actually come about? Two things are obvious about that song: it expresses your feelings about the war in Iraq, and you arranged it to echo your two acoustic Vietnam-era songs, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" and "Wholl Stop
the Rain." FOGERTY You're
right about that "echo"-
the strumming and the chord progression. But that's not how it started. I was accually trying to write a swamp rock song, which is another way of saying I was trying to be fun and upbeat and superficial. I walked in the door of this little room I write in, and something whispered in my ear [sings], "Did you hear them talk about ic..." The exact first line ofthe song. I kind ofwaved my hand and said, "Go away, I'm here to write a swamp-rock song!" This literally happened And I heard the whisper again.I could hear the acoustic guitar, too, and the melody. I sang it out loud and thought to myself, "Wow whaCs that?" Kind of gave me a chill GwA Had you particularly been thinking about the war in Iraq when you started hearing that whisper? FoGERTY Not to write a song about it, no. I'd actrally been thinking that my mission was to run, not walk, away {rom that subject. "Doilt go there," I thought, "because everybody's gonna go there " Yet that's how it evolved. GWA So what happened after you asked yourself, "What's that?" FocERTYAt that point I stopped trying to brush it away. And I ran over and got the acoustic guitar Normally what I do is turn on Pro Tools, all the junk That takes ro, r5 minutes, and sometimes whatever you've heard in your head is gone by then! So I got rhe acoustic guitar instead, and the thing just channeled.
r
ops WARNER BROS
,i, Just what the Ditty Bops do on their terrifc debut is hard to categorize. PerhaPs textured acoustic psychedelia with gentle jazz, blues, folk, lounge and vaudeville vibes will have to do, orjust brainy folk-pop. There are
two
lead
Ditty Bops, acoustic guitarist Abby DeWald and mandolinist/ducimer player Amanda Barrett. Based in Los Angeles, both women are in their early twenties and are appealing singers, quirky songwriters and confi dent instrumentalists. They have the advantage of having as co-producer on their debut world-class studio hand Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello) and the result is a rich sound that refl ects numerous infl uences but genuinely belongs to the Ditty Bops. Audiophiles will
loveil.
-lsaidh
Trost
e9g FAVORED NATIONS ACOUSTIC
rrrThere are two Adrian Leggs on display here: One plays gentle, Celtic-inspired melodic tunes ("A Waltz for Leah,"
"Emneth") with a slightly roughedge
1;;F?"q
that lends his performances
the kind of intimacy
that makes it sound like he's playing in your living room rather than some cold studio. But the other Legg insists on playing fl amboyant showpieces like "More Fun in the Swamp," where, with his acousticelectric heavily effected with reverb, distortion and pitch shifting, he comes off like an annoying show-off at Guitar Center Fortunately, it is Adrian One who dominates this record. legg has yet to top his classic Guita6 ond Other Cathedrols, but in its quieter
Simon &
Garlunkel Old Friends: Live on Stage (2-CD + DVD Deluxe Edition)
I AST YEAR. Paul Simon and I A.t cr.frr.rkel out aside their Ltit to,.,g difl..,i..s ro reunite for their "Old Friends" tour, which saw rhem play to sold-
nice old S&G feel about it Apan from "Citizen of the Planet," however, I felt a bit bored by the CD's after one hearing. Yet rhe DVD, which for the most part feaures the same
songs are fine, but they're not knockouts Unless you enjoy hearing the sound of all those adoring fans, the performances
of rhe hits-"The Boxer," "The Sound of Silence," "America," they're all here-don't compare to the originals, and attempts to jazz tp a couple with extended jams and solos by the otherwise excellent backup band are not particularly interesting The
performances, absolutely floored me. That is because hearing Simon & Garfunkel perform solid versions of their hits is one thing; sezing them pull it off is something else entireV. Simon rarely smiles for the audience or camera, and
out arenas rn crtles acloss the USA and Europe. There were no stabbing incidents, no disturbances of any sortjust a lot of happy audiences celebrating not only the artists and their music, but their own memories of the time when that music was new This is clear from
Garfunkel's lightheaned banter is patently anificial. These wvo men, both over 6o, obviously a-re not friends. The fact that they are able to sing and play their hearts out in spite of this is more than a tribute to their "professionalism " It is as profoundly llecting as Garfunkel's still-ethereal vocals or Simon's brillianc guitar
Old Fimds: Lire on Stage, the two-CD compilation and DVD (available separarely
or in one deluxe
playrng.
How appropriate-and
package)
awe inspiring-then is the appearance, in the middle of the show, by the Everly Brothers, without whose influence there would never have been a Simon & Garfunkel After singing
that features segments culled from two stops on the tour, New York's Madison Square Garden and New Jersey's Continenta-l Airlines Arena. The audiences in both venues cheered every lamiliar acoustic guitar ri{I, memorable l1'ric and sweet harmony with the kind of
most notable thing about the CD set is the inclusion of a
ecstatic fervor that leaves artist,
new/old work, "Citizen of the Planet," a song originally written
fan and promoter with a warm feeling for weeks. But how's the music? The best way to answer thac is wich a recommendation: if you have to choose between the CD set and the DVD, go for the latter The audio performances of the moments,
In h e
ita
n
ce
will
genuinely move you.
-Chris
rock's greatest estranged brother vocal harmony act and greatest
when Garfunkel added vocals especially for this release With its earnest environmentalist message, pretry vocals and
estranged "old friend" vocal harmony duo together, on stage, and bringing the house down.
catchy accompaniment,
of album,
on the title track this terrific
,rt'rlf you mistreat me, there's gonna be a fight," Precious Bryant declares
It's worth seeing.
has a
-CharlesMariam
Now 53 years
on her debut,
sings and plays this follow-up to acclaimed 2oo2
FoolMeGood,isdone I
with an air of
it
''11::.::1'*' old, Bryant
Bryant
TER14INUS RECORDS
of "Bye Bye Love." That's
by Simon more than 20 years ago but only recently completed
Gill
s
"Wake Up Little Susie" and 'Al1 I Have To Do Is Dream," the Everlys are joined by their disciples for a rousing rendition
conviction.
is a mod-
ern-day blues Lazarus. First captured on tape by folklorist George Mitchell back in 1953, she remained largely unknown for the better part ofthree decades, and is
onlynowbeingrecognized for her country blues-style
fi ngerpicking and versatile
vocals. Whether she's playing traditional gospel-infl ected numbers ("Morning Train") or groove-laden shuffl es ("Dark Angel"), or channelint the ghost of Chicago bluesman tittle Walter ("My Babe"), Bryant is one precious
commodity.
-Sean
McDevitt
currAR woRLD AcousrlC
91
RANCHER ACOUSTIC G HILE GRETSCH certainly is best known for the Bigsbyequipped hollowbody electric guitars that-in the hands of players from Gene Vincent to Brian Setzer-put the twang in so much of early rock and rockabilly, the company, now a subsidiary of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, has long produced a range of solidbodies and acoustics, too. I tested nvo Rancher models from Gretsch s new Flat Top series of acoustics:
the full-bodied, natural finish dreadnought G5o33 and the acoustic-electric cutaway sunburst dreadnoughc G5o3oC In terms of their appearance, these Korean-built instruments are typically Grersch in their arypicality. From the "rhumbnail" position markers on the bass side of their necks to their pick{ike, rounded "French' triangular soundholes, these axes bear the company's distinctive iconoclastic stamp The G5o's I played (the last two digits in their model numbers indicate diflerences in finish) are siblings; with the obvious exception of the cutaway and electronics, their dimensions and construction are identical Each has a solid Sitka spruce top mated to mellow-sounding laminated mahogany back and sides. The midrange is nicely ba1anced: less boomy than rosewood and less "spikey" than maple. The guitars generate plenty of volume, and their rich mahogany tone makes them ideal for those looking to
accompany their vocals Sonically, there is a noticeable dillerence between the cutaway arrd sundard models. The standard guitar is more harmonically balanced, arrd is especially nice for open-chord strumming, while the cuta\ /ay, which produces slighrly more extreme highs and lows, does a becter job on single-note runs. Both guitars excelled at producing chimey harmonics. Each guitar's 25.5-inch-scale mahogany neck is capped with a zo-fret rosewood fingerboard. The Ranchers feature chubby necks that are great fun for grab-and-
strum playing in the uaditional flattop style. You mayhave to work a little harder for lead guitar, though the rewards-that rich tone and the guitars' nice sustain and resonance-make any extra effort worthwhile. With the cutaway model, you can arch your way up to the very highest frets, but neither guitar o{Iers unfettered uPPer-regrster access.
The action on both guitars was a
little higher than average, though this may have had as much to do with the way the instruments got here (in shipping boxes, not cases) than in any flaw of construction or materials. The adjustable truss rod, which is accessible at the headstock,
should lec you or your tech
(s850) GRETSCH G5033 (5600)'
GRETSCH G5030C
FMIC Specialty Sales, 8860 East Chaparral Road, Suite100, Scottsdale, AZ 85250;
480-595-9690; www.gretschguitars.com
bring the action down An optional gig bag is available for around sroo. Strings mount in a traditional rosewood pin bridge with a compensated saddle. The other appointments-horseshoe headstock logo, the French triangle soundhole, the "steerhead" on the pickguard, the clever strap retainer knobs, the body and neck binding-all scream cowboy chic. I especially liked the way the sunburst's pattern evokes the shape ofthe soundhole. The most significant dillerence between the wvo models, of course, is the presence of electronics in the G5o3oC, a Fishman Prefix system comprised of a bridge-mounted Matrix piezo mated to a preamp that sits in the upper shoulder. Controls include Bass, Contour and Tieble sliders, each ofwhich boasts */- rzdB ofgain The bass and treble bands are fixed, but che Contour's frequency is continuously variable berween z5oHz and rokHz Not only does this allow you to fine-tune the tone, but also to compensate for any feedback-
inducing resonances caused by the room in which the guitar is played (Note: chis is not a nocch {ilter, a feature found in other Fishman systems ) The rotary volume control goes from "quiet" to "loud " Battery changes
areacinch,
rhanks co a flip-top preamp design. Overall, the Prefix system does a nice job ofcapturing the mahogany guitar's sweet rone, and should be more than adequate for Iive performance. Gretschs Rancher guitars are a hip alternative to your
typical white-bread dreadnoughc. They sound great, look
cool and ofler good value for the money.
r
All Method, No Madness THE eMEDIA GUITAR METHOD BY DANNY MILES HEN IT COMES co learning
basics: holding the guitar, tuning (theres a built-in tuner) and
how
learning the strings and individual notes in the first position YALT'E From there you can progress to chords and melodies, as well as a slew of techniques, including elementary fingerstyle and srumming patterns, chord and single-note fingering and right-hand muting There's a built-in metronome, and you can change the speed of the music to suit your own comfort level. The onboard
to play an instrument, there's really no substirute for a good private teacher. Yet it is certainly true that a well-designed, computer-based teaching tool like the eMedia Guitar Method can do much to augment traditional one-on-one study. And for those who choose to teach themselves to play, this sofcware can be a veritable godsend The eMedia Guitar Method Volume r
glossary keeps you hip to imponant terms and concepts And then there are the songs-7o of them, ranging in sryle from the traditiona-l "Greensleeves" to the blues classic "Little Red Rooster" to the Grateful Dead's "Uncle Johns
is comprehensive and user-friendly. The software-available for Windows, Mac OS X and Mac OS g-allows you to work with notation, tablature, video, audio or any combination ofthe above Its ten chapters and r.65 step-by-step lessons provide a solid introduction to guitar playing in a vaiery of sryles, allowing you to pick and choose among subjects, just as a university student can audit many dillerenc classes. The curriculum starts with the most basic of the THE eMEDIA GUIIAR METH0D (559.95) www.emedia.org, 664 NE Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 9 810 5;206 -329 -5657
Kevin Garry's Presentatlon
is clear and
well organized (check out the online demo at
Band " You carr view the music in both standard notation and tablature, and the vinual fretboard (available for both left- and right-
ww'w-emedia. org), and he consistently
handed players) allows you see each note's position on the neck as it is played. Impressive as all these features are individually, what really makes the eMedia Method so appealing is how they come together to comprise a flexible virtual
succeeds in
school of guitar. Onscreen instructor
stimulating your lnterest wrthout overwhelming you with information Once you master the basics taught here, you can move on to other eMedia programs. Altogether an effbctive and most valuable product. r
Copper Tones DEAN HEIRLOOM RESONATOR GUITAR BY CHRIS GILL EAN MAY BE best known for
the Heirloom was clearly designed to evoke the classic metal-body National Duolian and making pointy solidbody eleccrics Tiiolian resonator models popular among favored by rockers like Dimebag Darrell, but they also offer a wide country bluesmen of the rgzo's and r93o's. Like those guitars, the Heirloom features a variety of acoustics. Now they large spun-aluminum resonator, a resohave taken a huge step backwards, so to nator coverplate decorated with speak, with the introduction of their new nine diamond-shape soundhole Heirloom Resonacor guicars. With a look, clusters, f-holes positioned in sound and price that will remind players of the upper bout arrd a wooden the good o1' days, the Heirloom, true to its "biscuiC'bridge. As a result, the name, is one guitar that resonator aficionaHeirloom also sounds much like dos will treasure for years to come those old Nationals: loud arrd Metal-body resonator guitars have traditionally been constructed ofsteel, brass or richly resonant, with a biting "German silver" (an alloy of copper, nickel, tone that makes it perfect for playing hard blues with and zinc). There are two Heirloom moda slide or fingersryle. els, one made ofcopper and one ofbrass. I looked at the copper model, DEAIr HErRr00M ($799) which has a reddish hue. Dean Guitars, 15251 Roosevelt Blvd. Except for its distinctive Dean #206, Clearwater, FL 33760; headstock shape and bridge cover embossed with the Dean logo,
7
27 - 5'19 -9
9
69 ; ww w.d
e a n g u i ta
rs.com
The Heirloom neck, though not quite as massive as those found on most Depression-era instruments, provides a good balance ofheft for sustain and comfon for playabiliry The rosewood fingerboard is tastefully decorated with copper or brass dot inlays that match the body material
While many vintage resonator guirars can be diflicult to handle, the Heirloom plays like good modern acoustic.
a
House but your finances havent recovered from the Bush recession, j check out a Dean
li
Heirloom coday. It will drive yo blues away.
r
currAR woRLD ACousrrc 93
RavishingRenega ALVAREZ YAIRI MMYl MONTE MONTGOMERY SIGNATURE MODEL BY SHAWN HAMMOND LVAREZ YAIRI'S gorgeous MMYr is based on the instrument that Austin poprocker Monte Montgomery an tnnovatve gurtanst renowned for his physically aggressive sryle, has been beating to hell on the road for nearly two decades. Montgomery has busted the neck ofhis original :L987 Alvarez DY6zC not once, not Ewice, butfour times! With that violent history in mind, -Alvarez has outlitted the MMYI with a handsome fivepiece laminated neck the company is confident woilt snap like a toothpick under Montes visceral attack. Apart from this change, the folks at Alvarez went to great lengths to make sure this ax can serve as a wonhy stand-in for Montes workhorse. For example, the guitar's solid cedar top has been hand-distressed so that it looks like Montgomery's weathered road warrior. The result is a sumptuously textured top in which each grain is a subtle, rustic ripple that stimulates the fingertips as well as the eyes. A lovely, Iigured-maple pickguard adds to the Pretfy Plcture. Other appointments include a stunning, single-cutaway burled-mahogany body with maple binding and a sophisticated zigzaginlay down the center of the two-piece back. The aesthetically minimalist ebony fretboard features a single abalone star-and-initials inlay at the rzth fret, while the figured-maple veneer is also inlaid with abalone. The MMYI further boasts a rosewood bridge, an abalone rosette and goldplated locking Sperzel uners. Whether fingerpicked or flatpicked, the MMYI sounds as good as it looks. Along with a detailed treble response, the guitar produces a complex midrange and a decent deep thump. And than}s to its solid woods you can expect the guitar's sound to improve as it ages. The MMYr is equipped with a built-in piezo-driven Alvarez 6ooT MKII preamp whose features include alarge master volume knob, treble, middle and bass sliders, a midfreq knob (which adlusts the mid slider's center AwAREZ YATRI MMYt ($3,299) Alvarez c/o St. Louis Music 1nc.,1400 Ferguson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133; www.stlouismusic.com
94 currAR woRLD ACousrrc
frequency) andatiny button for activating the onboard tuner. One especially appealing thing about this preamp is that it is possible to connect a soundhole pickup or an internally mounted microphc microphone (such as Alvarez's optional ASP5o MK II pickup or ACM5o condenser mic) to the unit via a jack on the underside of the removable preamp module and blend the signal with the piezo sound. Three small push buttons WHETHER
allow you to engage the notch filter, select between
FIilGERPICKED a
OR FIAIPICKED, -zodB/odB aux input level and IHE MMYI change the phasing (polarity) SOUNDS between the internal piezos and the auxiliary device, AS GOOD AS respectively. Additionally, the tI L00Ks. 6ooT MKII has three knobs for adjusting the notch frequency and levels for both the auxiliary andpiezo signals. (The mic or pickup signal is not affected by any preamp settings other than the auxiliary level-which should be minimized to avoid hum if a second unit isnt connected.) The preamps generous controls o{Ier impressive flexibiliry. I found that attenuating the treble, moderating the mids and boosting the bass a bit resulted in a punchy tone that could easily
cut through any band mix. In other
words, exactly the kind of tone required by Monte Montgomery. With its distinctive appearance and
killer (not to mention diverse) plugged-in tonal possibilities, the Afvarez MMYr is one happening guitar. r
KERLY MUSIC PRODUCIS Earthtones Acoustic Phosphor Bronze Guitar Strings These are conditioned with CryogenicThermal Cycling, a revolutionary process that extends the life of metals and
plastics by up to 5oo percent. Kerly exposes the metals to sub-zero and hot temperaturesfor z4to 48 hours, which strengthens the strings and boosts their resistance to wear.The result is a crisper sound, longer tonal life, increased durability and a smoother feel. List Prices: $14.75 (six-string); $24.95 (tz-string) Manufacturer: Ketly Music CorPoration,TS logan Avenue, Jersey City, N, o73o5; 8oo-859-954o; www.kerlymusic.com
DEAN MARKLEY
Acoustic Guitar Gilt Pak Dean Markley's Gift Pak has gotthe goodies:an English leather guitar strap, a set ofVintage Bronze Acoustic strings, a TurboTune stringwinder, a supplyofguitar picks and a bottle
ofLove Potion #9 SpritzerCleanerwith polishing cloth.
MARTIN GUITARS
List Price: 957.50
Manufacturer: Dean Markley strings,3350 Scott Blvd.,#45,
D-28 Marquis Sunburst From Martin's new Marquis series of acoustics comes the D-28 Marquis Sunburst, which like the D-28 Marquis has East lndian rosewood back, sides and headplate, solid Adirondack Spruce top and solid
black Ebonyfingerboard and bridge.The guitar has pre-war herringbone D-28 specifications along with an adjustable truss rod, Golden Era appointments and Gotoh nickel open geared tuning machines with butterbean knobs. List Price:5S,249
Manufacturer: C. F. Martin & Co., lnc.,5ro Sycamore Street, P.O. Box 329, Nazareth, PA r8o54-o329; 6ro-759-2831 i
wwwmartinguitar.com
Santa Clara, CA 95o54; 4o8-988-2455;www.DeanMarkley.com
ULTRASOUND AMPLIFIERS AG-50DS3 Acoustic Amplilier This 5o-watt RMS power
acouitic amplifier with two custom eight-inch coaxial speakers features a combo lnput on each channel designed for both Mic (Balanced XLR) or lnstrument (r/4-inch) level signals,r5
digital effects assignable to both channels and a footswitch jack to turn effects on and off. Back panel connections include effects send and return, mono and stereo line out, headphonesjack and direct out. Resonant feedback can be eliminated through selectablefrequencyshift the r8db cut notch filterfiom rooHz - 35oHz.
lisi
of
Price: $539
ULTRASOUND Amplifiers, Srro Park Avenue, De5 Moines,lA 5o3zr; 888-3o8-r557; www.ultrasoundamps.com
Manufacturer:
PEAVEY PV MSP1
Microphone Package
With Gis Bae The PV MSPr features Peavey's performance-ready Pvi roo
dynamic cardioid microphone and a fully adjustable, tripodstyle boom stand that works equallywell with vocals, acoustic guitars, amplifiers or drums.The package also includes an XLR-Io-XLR oiXLR-to-l/4-inch cable, mic stand clip and protective nylon mic bag. Comes with a durable zippered gig bagthat makes it possible to transport an entire microphone setup from rehearsal to the stage.
[ist
Pri
96 GUITAR woRLD ACoUSTIC
Contempordry Classics
Chet Atkins's belief that a shorter scale
would significantly decrease his risk of developing arthritis. "Doyie called a few
Concert model guitar is the gorgeous mother-of-pearl acanthus leaf inlaid high on the fretboard. Also inlaid, in rS-carat gold, is the Roman numeral "XXX," perhaps anticipating the company's golden anniversary 20 years from now. That touch of gold hinting at the luture is appropriate for a Taylor Anniversary guitar because while most folks celebrate such a milestone by reminiscing about years gone by, Taylor president Bob Taylor prelers to look forward. "I made a solemn vow to never build an Anniversary guitar that was a remake of something we've already done," says Thylor "My main goal is to make a guitar that says to the customer, 'Here are some new ideas that we're introducing' We're currently revoicing all our models, tweaking their tone by changing the shape and location ofthe bracing, and the joth Anniversary Grand Concert is one of our first steps in that direction We're zrlso debuting our new shorter-scale neck design on the joth Anniversary guitars." Until now, full-size Taylor guitars have always featured a z5-rlz'inch scale. The 3oth Anniversary Grand Concert introduces azq-/8-tnch scale that resuits in decreased string rension, which in turn means better playability. Fret spacing is slightly narrower than usual
years back to say he wished we could make his signature model with a shorter scale," says Taylor "His poor old fingers were starting to feel worse for the wear.
It
seemed like a
worthy cause to help
Doyle's playing career last longer." The reduced string tension also means that the guitar's top can vibrate more freely, resulting in greater volume and a boost in the midrange and treble The koa version of the 3oth Anniversary Taylor pictured here delivers a particularly rich, bell-like treble and a smooth, balanced midrange with ample resonance and sustain. Although the Grand Concert body style is slightly smaller than that of a typical dreadnought, Taylor expanded the body depth of the Anniversary model by r(-inch to enhance its bass response
With its stunning figured Hawaiian koa back and sides. cool slotted headstock and Waverly tuners, and striking abalone and pearl inlay (including a design of a torch on the back of the peghead), this well-crafted Taylor shimmers with vintage appeal even as it delivers timeless sound and playability that'll never get oid This anniversary, promise her anything but give yourself this Gill guitar
-Chris
IAYTOR XXX.KE SPECS
well, making it noticeably easier to play chords that requrre gurtansts to stretch their fingers as
across a span
offour
or more frets. Thylor says the idea of employing a shorter scale originated with fingerpicking wizard Doyle Dykes,
who says he was simply echoing the late 98 currAR woRLD ACousrlc
Tropical American Mahogany Ebony (1-3l4-inch at nut)
